Unclear What Went Wrong
by Cookies94
Summary: Andromeda Black is broken, but denying it. Ted Tonks is in love with a girl who on principle hates him. In sixth year, Andromeda takes a seat next to Ted in Transfiguration and both their worlds get turned upside down. Andromeda must face facts she'd wish to avoid and Ted must accept that life isn't as easy as he had thought. They must both persevere in hopes of a happier life.
1. Chapter One

Andromeda followed her sister's head, keeping an eye on the dark brown hair as they boarded the train. Bellatrix was, for a lack of a better phrase, Andromeda's best friend and as it was her last year at Hogwarts she wasn't quite sure what she would do without her. Bellatrix was the person she told everything to, or at least almost everything, her hopes, fears, and by the end of the year she would be without her.

She would still have Narcissa, but at school Narcissa almost became an entirely different person, at home she was generally very quiet between the ruckus Bellatrix and Andromeda tended to make, but once she entered Hogwarts she became a social butterfly, the centre of attention, and the most well liked Slytherin girl. She generally had a whole entourage of fellow purebloods following her about.

"Are you excited for your seventh year?" Andromeda asked Bellatrix as they entered their compartment.

"A bit. Not as excited for the end though." Bellatrix answered flopping down, in a rather unladylike fashion, onto one of the seats.

"Oh come on, Bella, Rodulphus isn't that bad, you could certainly do worse." Andromeda remarked with a smile, sitting down on a seat herself.

"No, he really isn't." Bellatrix commented with a smirk and a raised eyebrow at her sister.

"Bella!" Andromeda shrieked looking at her sister and wishing she had something she could toss at her.

"Well we've only been engaged since we were fifteen, Andy. You can't tell me you and Walden haven't-." Bellatrix said so nonchalantly that Andromeda couldn't help but turn a bright shade of red.

"No we haven't!" Andromeda shrilled cutting Bellatrix off before she could finish her statement. "Really, Bella, you are too much."

Bellatrix looked at Andromeda for a few seconds, making her feel rather uncomfortable.

"I have the Prefects meeting." Andromeda said sharply standing up to get out from under her sister's shrewd eye.

Bellatrix chuckled at her sister as she hurried to the door before pausing halfway out.

"Will I see you at Slug Club later?" She asked turning her head around to look at Bellatrix.

"Oh I suppose." Bellatrix said dismissively, leaning back as Andromeda exited the compartment.

Rolling her eyes Andromeda headed towards the Prefect compartment, rushing as she realized she was a little late. By the time she arrived the compartment was rather full and Andromeda found herself squeezing in between a Hufflepuff and a Gryffindor, the latter of whom shot her a disgusted look.

Ignoring the Gryffindor, whom Andromeda couldn't bother to give the time of day too, she turned an eye to the Head Boy and Girl. They were both Gryffindors, which was horribly unlucky for Andromeda, and had bright red hair. Knowing her pureblood, and therefore blood traitor, history quite well from her childhood where Aunt Walburga had drummed it into her head, Andromeda recognized them as the Weasley boy and the Prewett girl. Andromeda, never one to care for names unless it was someone relevant to her, had never bothered to learn either of their first names. Considering the Weasley boy's status in pureblood society, equal to that of a muggle-born if not lower, she had never even thought to learn his.

"All right, now that we're all here, we can get started." The Prewett girl started clearing her throat. "I'm Molly and this is Arthur, quite clearly we're Head Boy and Girl. I'd like to take this moment to welcome the new fifth year prefects and welcome back our sixth and seventh year ones.

"Basically, for those of you who are new, a prefect's job is to patrol the hall after curfew and make sure there's nobody messing about. A prefect can give detentions and take away house points, but not from other prefects. If you happen to encounter a fight, which is happening far more often than we'd like nowadays, then either try to break it up calmly or get a teacher or Arthur and I."

Andromeda sighed and rolled her eyes at this speech, she had heard it last year and would most likely be hearing it again next year, if she wasn't going to be giving it. On top of that she didn't like to be told what to do by a blood-traitor, nor did she appreciate the look this Molly had shot her when she'd mentioned the fights. As if it was Andromeda's fault that her fellow purebloods had been targeting muggle-borns more often with the Knights of Walpurgis becoming popular. She didn't even have anything to do with the Knights, besides what Bellatrix told her every now and again.

"Now then, we'll be handing out the patrol rotary, you'll notice that you aren't necessarily paired up with your fellow house prefect as Dumbledore wanted us to try and create some house unity or some rubbish like that." Arthur continued as Molly passed out the rotaries to each person crammed into the space, shooting Arthur a glare.

The Hufflepuff next to Andromeda barked out a laugh at Arthur's words and he smiled.

"At least someone appreciates me, Molly." He said as Molly shot the Hufflepuff a look as well. "Thank you, Ted."

"Back to the rotaries." Molly stressed shooting them both displeased looks, "We've separated the year into different quarters where each one of you will be paired up with every prefect of opposite gender in your year. We hope you all will behave yourselves."

Again Molly shot Andromeda a look, as well as some of her fellow Slytherins, including, Andromeda noted, her fellow prefect Augustus Rockwood, who she gave a pretty harsh look. Andromeda couldn't take it anymore, she could take quiet hatred, but she did not appreciate people implying that she would not follow the school rules. Andromeda had great control of herself and she did not like anyone implying otherwise, especially quite so blatantly.

"Excuse me." She said rather tightly. "Why do you keep shooting my fellow Slytherins and I looks whenever you mention some sort of rule breaking. I've never broken a rule in my life, and I don't appreciate you implying I have."

"Yeah!" Augustus chimed in making Andromeda shoot him a glare, the last thing she wanted was dumb as bricks Augustus joining in her offense, how he ever got to be a prefect was beyond her. "Here you are talking 'bout house unity and you keep shootin' us dirty looks. Bit rude, innit?"

Andromeda wished she was not on the other side of the compartment from him so she could give him a nice quick kick in the legs.

"I wasn't implying anything; I just wanted to make sure everyone was clear there shouldn't be any funny business…" Molly tried to defend.

"That isn't what it seemed like, was it?" Charles Parkinson interjected into the conversation, although Slytherins weren't entirely loyal, there was one time when they would stick together and that was when they were being insulted.

"She just wanted to emphasis that we expect safety for our muggle-born prefects if we're going to be having mixed patrols. You can't deny that some of you have been caught giving some muggle-borns a rough time." Arthur came to Molly's defense as all the Slytherin prefects shot her dirty looks.

"You would be concerned about that, blood-traitor." Martha Rosier, Andromeda's cousin sniped. "If you're so worried about the Mudbloods' safety maybe they oughten be prefects. Or steal proper wizards' magic."

Luckily enough for Andromeda, Martha was close enough for her to give a quick jab over the fifth year Gryffindor. She shot Martha a look as Martha let out a cry of pain, grasping her leg where a bruise was most likely forming.

"It's that kind of thinking that makes us worry." Molly pointed out looking Martha square in the eye.

"You should be more concerned with Martha's incapability to perform a proper charm than with her rather expressive beliefs on mug-Mudbloods. She can't perform past a fourth year level. She wouldn't be able to hurt someone if she tried." Andromeda commented wryly fixing herself where she had slipped up.

It wasn't that she didn't think she was superior to muggle-borns, she did, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she certainly was, it was just that she had always hated the term 'Mudblood' the overly expressive use of it in her home as a child had been such a norm, and something said with such conviction by her Aunt Walburga, that Andromeda had initially said it like any other word.

She hadn't thought much of anything about it until her second year when she had been sent to Dumbledore's office after using it quite blatantly in the middle of her Transfiguration class. Where Dumbledore, who she didn't think much of either mind, had explained to her how it could be an offensive term. Andromeda didn't care much about offending muggle-borns, they were hardly even people, but she had been taught by her father as a small child that one should not say offensive words in public, as it was unladylike. Something that she had had carved into her, quite literally, when she had yelled 'fuck' in the middle of Diagon Alley at the age of seven and had been forced to write lines with a quill that used her blood.

She still had "I shall not use offensive words" carved into her right hand and she therefore had ceased using the term Mudblood in public as she did not want to appear unladylike. Except when she sometimes found herself in the middle of a muggle-born bashing circle of Slytherins where in if she didn't say it she would get in heaps of trouble.

As it was, this was one of those moments where using the term "Mudblood" had mixed results. She was given dirty looks by all the non-Slytherin muggle-born sympathizers and appraising looks by the Slytherins who had luckily not caught her slip up, and one rather confused and analyzing look by the Hufflepuff who was sitting next to her.

"Andromeda." She shrieked in outrage glaring at her. "I could certainly out perform any Mudblood, which is all I need."

Andromeda rolled her eyes and shook her head at her cousin who was not helping to defend Slytherins at all and dully considered if kicking her again would be satisfactory. Reluctantly she came to the conclusion that it would probably not.

"You Slytherins can deal with your family squabbles later." Arthur said cutting of Augustus who had been opening his mouth to speak. "We would appreciate it if everyone could behave themselves while they are patrolling with whoever they are with, and to please stick to the rotary. If there is an issue with your scheduling please come discuss any issues you may have with Molly or me. Dismissed."

Andromeda stood up glad that the prefect meeting was over and thought reluctantly about how she would have to go to another tiresome required event, Slug Club. If there was anything Andromeda hated it was going to social occasions like said Slug Club, where she was sized up and viewed as a collector's item. It was common knowledge to anyone who had caught Slughorn's eye that he liked to collect his students based on either academic merit or family ties, and that he was particularly interested in the Black Family.

Andromeda dusted herself off and rolled her shoulders preparing for a rather dull occupation of her time. Persimmon Nott, the seventh year Slytherin prefect who was also a part of the Slug Club, sidled along beside her as she headed out of the Prefect's Meeting.

"I can't believe those two got Head Girl and Boy when I was an option. One of them a blood traitor even." She spat with a glare at Molly and Arthur's retreating backs.

"You know how Dumbledore is, completely bats, and playing for the wrong side, in both regards. Of course he would choose blood traitors over us purebloods, even if we're more qualified." Andromeda soothed putting a hand on Persimmon's arm to calm her.

Andromeda rather liked Persimmon, despite the fact that Bellatrix proclaimed on numerous occasions that the woman was faker than the Kevin Broadmoor signed Quaffle that Andromeda's father had given her when she had turned thirteen. She was someone who was very light and easy to talk to, and as long as Andromeda played along and praised her great virtues Persimmon would come to Andromeda's defense about anything, which was a good person to have on one's side when people often tried to take down the noble house of Black.

"I suppose. It's just completely unfair that we have to listen to those dumb blood traitors all year. And mixed patrolling? I never would have let that happen!" Persimmon continued to whine crossing her arms and pouting a bit. "Who are you patrolling with anyways?"

"I actually hadn't checked." Andromeda answered unfolding the rotary that she had been holding in her hand.

"I'm patrolling with that Ravenclaw, Trevor Finch, the really tall disfigured one. You know who I'm talking about. He has a pug face and was leering at me the whole time. Sometimes I hate the fact that I'm so pretty and practically every guy wants me." Persimmon said, as Andromeda opened her rotary and glanced at which fellow sixth year she would be paired up with first.

Andromeda rolled her eyes at Persimmon's whining, not every guy wanted her, in fact barely any guy did. She was lucky that she came from such pure blood because the years of inbreeding had done a number on Persimmon's looks. She wasn't hideous or horribly disfigured in any regard, but she was certainly leaning more towards Charles II of Spain than Princess Margaret of England.

Andromeda did not care to divulge why she knew so much about the muggle royal families besides the fact that she had done numerous research into the results of inbreeding as she was to marry one of her various cousins.

"I think I'm supposed to be patrolling with Roger Travers, the bloke from Gryffindor who always has that sneer on his face. The one we always joke ought to have been in Slytherin." Andromeda finally said glancing over the rotary once more.

"Well that isn't so bad, despite the fact that he never quite shuts up, does he? At least you got someone who is for our cause rather than someone against it. You could have been paired up with that Mudblood in your year." Persimmon remarked nodding at Andromeda's good luck.

"There's a Mudblood in my year that's a prefect?" Andromeda asked reminding herself to say Mudblood this time and trying very hard not to wince at the word.

"Yes. You were only sitting next to him the whole time. How did you not know that?" Persimmon asked in disbelief looking at Andromeda with wonder in her eyes.

"I try and ignore their existence. What's his name?" She answered thinking back to who she had been sitting next to in the compartment; there had been the Gryffindor and the Hufflepuff.

Had he been a muggle-born? She could spot a pureblood a mile away, but she could never be so sure of them.

"Tongs or something. I never bothered to learn his name. He is a Mudblood after all." Persimmon said with such disgust in her voice that Andromeda decided to drop the topic right there and instead turn the discussion to the Slug Club.

She couldn't help, however, to look back down at her rotary and note with a sense of dread that next term she was to be spending every Tuesday and Thursday with the muggle-born. For someone who seemed to be so afraid she was going to kill every muggle-born in sight, Molly and Arthur had set it up so that she would be with one more than any other prefect, leaving Andromeda quite puzzled.

By the time that Persimmon and Andromeda arrived at the Slug Club she had pushed the issue of patrolling with a muggle-born out of her mind and was instead listening to the story of how Persimmon had gotten rather raunchy with her fiancé Trevor Crabbe.

"So we were in the cloak room at the Malfoy ball, right? And I mean he is practically propositioning me right there and so I figure, 'all right', I mean we are engaged to be married and all, so I just figure I'd go for it. In any case Trev and I, I call him Trev, are getting pretty heated when the Malfoy's house elf pops in getting someone's cloak." Persimmon babbled as Andromeda half listened; as she was too busy wondering if everyone was doing such things with their fiancées.

Andromeda had never understood the whole pleasures of snogging and shagging, anytime she had kissed Walden it had been rather awkward and uncomfortable, he had slobbered on her a bit and she had tried to end it as quickly as possible. It wasn't even as if Walden was the only guy she had kissed. She'd dated Charles Parkinson for about a month last year and he had had the same issue as Walden, to the point that Andromeda had begun to assume that all guys slobbered when they kissed. She therefore found it very hard to understand why so many of her friends were often describing their exploits with their fiancées to her. Did they honestly find slobbering enjoyable?

"So their house elf is there right, just gaping at us and Trev and I fly to opposite sides of the closet, although it's a bit too small and we're still rather close, you'd really think the Malfoy's of all people could get a larger cloak room. Then Trev's spitting fire at the house elf or something and it starts sobbing, they really are pathetic you know, and apologizing profusely so-." Persimmon prattled on.

"Excuse me, Persimmon, I don't mean to be rude but Bellatrix is over there looking positively bored and I think she would be very mad at me if I don't go save her." Andromeda cut her off, receiving a rather surprised look from Persimmon.

"Oh yes, of course. I'll finish my story later. It gets really good." Persimmon promised as Andromeda hurried off towards her sister, trying very hard to blast the image of Persimmon and Trevor Crabbe snogging rather heatedly in the Malfoy's' cloak room out of her mind.

"Were you talking to Persimmon Nott?" Bellatrix asked, almost in outrage. "You know I can't stand her."

"Yes, well, she's a prefect too so I was walking over with her. She really isn't that bad though." Andromeda answered, defending Persimmon for some reason she didn't understand. "Hello, by the way."

"Yeah, hi, whatever. What were you talking about in such detail? I hardly imagine Persimmon has a sensible thought in her mind." Bellatrix continued shooting Persimmon a rather nasty look that Persimmon failed to notice.

"How she and Trevor Crabbe were about to get it on in the Malfoy's' cloak room when their house elf popped in." Andromeda answered almost automatically. "Does everyone shag their fiancée before they're properly married? I thought that that ruined them or made them unfit to marry."

"I thought so. Hardly anything important, not like what the Knights of Walpurgis discuss." Bellatrix remarked knowingly to herself, smiling triumphantly as if she had somehow outdone Persimmon Nott. "And yes, Andy, everyone but you and Cissy have shagged their fiancées. It isn't an issue as long as you aren't caught sleeping with another man, which is easy enough to avoid in and of itself."

"Bella!" Andromeda shrieked again, surprised at her sister's words. "Are you saying that you haven't just done it with Rodulphus?"

"Yes, Andy, that is precisely what I am saying and if you weren't such a stick in the mud prefect then you would be able to say so too. You hardly think that Trevor Crabbe is the first man Persimmon's slept with, do you? As long as you're not found out it's fine." Bellatrix answered with a shrug shaking her head at her sister's naivety.

"Oh. I guess I'd never really thought that all the pureblood witches were off sleeping with other wizards before they were married." Andromeda said quietly churning this information over in her mind.

"If you didn't spend so much time in the library studying like some Ravenclaw maybe you would. Remember, we are Slytherins and we are very good at getting what we want without being caught." Bellatrix smirked, drawing herself up as if the mention of being Slytherin gave her a sense of self importance.

Andromeda shook her head at her sister's words and chatted amiably with her about things besides shagging and the Knights of Walpurgis, which was something Bellatrix often turned the conversation to those days. They chatted about things like what to buy their mother for her upcoming birthday, and how soon Andromeda would legally be able to drink firewhiskey.

It was at this point that Bellatrix was making fun of Andromeda for being such a rule follower and never disobeying a rule in her life that Narcissa bounced her way over.

"What are you two talking about in such detail that you're ignoring the rest of the club?" Narcissa asked with a smile at her two older sisters who were practically joined at the hip.

"How Andy is a stick in the mud." Bellatrix answered automatically smiling down at her sister.

"I am not. I just simply do not see the appeal in gallivanting about devil-may-care. It gets you nowhere in life." Andromeda declared in her defense glaring at Bellatrix.

"No offense Andy, but you are kind of a stick in the mud. I think I've broken more rules than you have." Narcissa agreed laughing at Andromeda.

"Cissy! You're thirteen. I was just thinking boys were cute when I was thirteen!" Andromeda cried in surprise.

"Andy, you've never thought boys were cute." Bellatrix remarked taking a sip of the champagne in her hand. "Don't lie."

"I have too! I dated Charles Parkinson last year and Lester Flint prior to that." Andromeda bickered pouting at being mistreated in such a fashion.

"Those don't count. That was preliminary husband shopping and neither of them lasted very long." Bellatrix denied waving a hand to silence Andromeda's protests. "Just face facts Andy; you are a stick in the mud."

Andromeda pouted and glared up at Bellatrix as she and Narcissa laughed. She was quite certain she was not a stick in the mud, she could break rules and kiss boys and sleep with guys before she was married, just like Bellatrix. In fact, she could do it far better than Bellatrix. The problem was that she wasn't entirely interested in kissing boys when they slobbered on her and breaking rules when they resulted in detention, but then again maybe detention wasn't that bad.

Watching Narcissa walk away Andromeda nodded her head to herself, she wouldn't be a stick in the mud. She wouldn't give up her time for rebellion before she was married to Walden and forced to kiss his slobbery self. She could break rules and get detention and she would. If only to prove to Bellatrix that she could be just as rebellious and incorrigible as her.

* * *

><p>It was the first day of classes and Andromeda strolled into Transfiguration ten minutes late. It wasn't on accident. Andromeda had woken up rather early and found herself done with breakfast well before it was even time to go to Transfiguration. She had figured the best way to start off the year being more rebellious was to be late to McGonagall's class, as McGonagall would care the most, so in order to be late she had headed up to the library to kill time, however the school librarian had ushered her out when the bell rang and Andromeda had to walk especially slow and then wait outside for a few minutes to show up late.<p>

Perhaps being rebellious was harder than she thought.

"Miss Black, you are late." Professor McGonagall said her lips forming the thin line that Andromeda had seen her shoot various other students when they had broken a rule.

"Sorry Professor." Andromeda replied trying to sound as unapologetic as possible, except the look McGonagall was giving her was overwhelming her with guilt.

"Do not apologize to me, it will further punish you when you are taking your NEWTs and have found that you are missing knowledge due to your showing up late." McGonagall told her pointing to a desk,

Andromeda scuttled to the only seat that was available and found, to her dismay that it was next to the muggle-born boy from the train yesterday.

"Black." He greeted as she sat down, shooting her a smile which rather befuddled her as he was a muggle-born and she was a Black.

"Tongs." She replied pulling out her quill and parchment so she could take notes as McGonagall lectured them.

"Did you say Tongs?" He asked in a whisper, turning to look at her.

"Yes. Isn't that your name? Tongs?" Andromeda questioned looking forward, quite surprised at the muggle-borns nerve at speaking to her, and more surprised at her speaking back.

"Tonks." He answered stressing the k. "With a 'k' not a 'g'. Who has the name Tongs?"

"Who has the name Tonks?" Andromeda shot back glancing quickly at him.

"Who has the name Andromeda?" He said with a smirk as Andromeda turned and shot him a glare.

Andromeda tried not to gasp as she got her first proper look at the guy, attempting to keep her glare even. He was a rather fit guy, even for a muggle-born, especially for a muggle-born, tall with shaggy blonde hair and dark clear blue eyes. Subconsciously Andromeda twiddled her own dark long brown hair and continued to glare at him, trying to ignore the fact that he was rather good looking.

"It is not that weird." She hissed at him. "Plenty of people have far weirder names."

"That's true, isn't there a girl a year above us with the name Persimmon? Then your sisters are Bellatrix and Narcissa. Who names you lot?" Tonks commented, nodding in agreement and biting on his quill.

"Our parents. They're family names." Andromeda answered with a sense of pride in her voice. "What pray tell is your first name?"

"Ted." Tonks answered sticking out a hand as if to shake hers.

She stared at it in distaste for a few moments, did he really expect her to shake a muggle-born's hand? Not even if she was wearing thick gloves.

"Theodore if you want to get fancy." He continued staring at her as she stared in horror at his hand. "All right, you don't shake hands. Do they kiss hello in the 'pureblood culture'?"

"I never!" Andromeda gasped out, turning her head in complete indignation as a wide smile stretched across Tonks' face.

"Ms. Black, Mr. Tonks. If you wouldn't mind, there are some students here to learn." Professor McGonagall said sharply staring at them both sternly.

"Sorry, professor." Andromeda and Tonks said at the same time, Andromeda reproached and Tonks with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"See you don't do it again, otherwise I'll have to give you both detentions." McGonagall told them before turning back to addressing the rest of the class.

"What?" Tonks asked Andromeda, as she was glaring quite furiously at him.

"You almost got me detention; I've never gotten detention before in my life." She hissed in response.

"To be fair, you're being late was what almost gave you a detention." Tonks told her with a quiet laugh. "Where were you anyways? Off with Charles Parkinson in some broom closet?"

"No, I was in the library." She answered, drawing herself up and pointing her nose up at the idea of being in a broom closet with Charles Parkinson.

"You were late because you were in the library?" Tonks asked in disbelief, trying very hard not to laugh.

"Yes. What is so funny about that?" Andromeda asked turning to look at him again a glare prevalent on her face.

Tonks couldn't help it, he had tried very hard to stifle his laughter at this strange girl who had such strange conceptions, but at hearing she was late because she had been in the library he found he couldn't hold it in any longer. Before he knew what was happening he broke out in great peals of laughter, slamming his hand against the desk.

"Shut up." She told him adamantly. "You're going to get us in trouble."

"Ms. Black! Mr. Tonks! I have already told you to be quiet; if you are going to be taking this class then I suggest you take it seriously. NEWTs are only a year away and we haven't the time for this tomfoolery. Please exit this classroom at once and come back on Wednesday, when you are more properly behaved. Also, I will be seeing you tonight for detention." Professor McGonagall said sternly shooting them both looks.

"Sorry Professor." Andromeda muttered gathering her stuff and shooting Tonks the meanest look she could muster from her arsenal.

Andromeda followed him out of the room in a huff. She couldn't believe that she had been kicked out of class her first day back and been given detention. She'd never had either happen before in her life. What would her parents say? What would Bellatrix say? With a smile Andromeda realized that she had just proven Bellatrix wrong, not even twenty minutes into her first class and she had been late, kicked out, and given a detention. Her whole stick in the mud persona was quickly turning around.

"Look, I'm really sorry; I didn't mean to get you kicked out." Tonks said holding his hands up as if to calm what he assumed would be a coming storm. "I was just joking around and, why are you smiling?"

"What?" Andromeda asked, not aware that she was smiling.

"You just looked like you were about to kill me and now you're giving me the biggest smile in the world. It's really quite unnerving actually." Tonks explained looking at her like a deer in headlights.

"Oh. Sorry. No, it's fine. I'm just smiling because I got detention." Andromeda told him trying very hard to wipe the smile off her face, imagine if she was caught smiling at a muggle-born.

"But, you just wanted to kill me for getting you detention." Tonks said slowly blinking as if trying to process what was going on.

"Well, okay this is going to sound weird, but I kind of wanted detention, because my sisters were telling me I'm a stick in the mud and I've never done anything wrong a day in my life. Which simply isn't true, because if I remember correctly I got in tons of trouble as a kid." Andromeda attempted to explain before pausing. "Why am I telling you this?"

"Because you're positively bonkers. Nobody wants to get in trouble." He told her shooting her a strange look.

"Yes, but the way I figure it I've only got two years to get in trouble before I have to act all prim and proper." She elaborated trying to get him to understand.

"Why do you only have two years? Because that's when we graduate?"

Andromeda sighed and rolled her eyes. Of course he wouldn't understand the propensities of the pureblood society. It was clearly too much for a muggle-born to be able to understand and process. Why she was even talking to him now was beyond her. Imagine if Bellatrix or Persimmon walked by, what would they say?

"Hey, don't give me that 'you're a 'Mudblood' so you wouldn't understand'. I understand lots of things, thank you very much." He said almost sounding offended.

"I find that hard to believe." Andromeda replied with a shake of her head, fixing her bag and walking off to the library in an attempt to make up for having missed the rest of her Transfiguration class.

* * *

><p>"I heard you got kicked out of class early." Bellatrix commented sitting down next to Andromeda at lunch. "And got a detention."<p>

"You heard correctly." Andromeda said, smirking into her food.

"Well, how did that happen?" Bellatrix asked with a raised brow, not liking to be kept out of the loop.

"I was talking to this guy, or more so really bothered by, in Transfiguration and McGonagall went bats and kicked us out, but not before giving us detention." Andromeda told her, glazing over who exactly this guy was if she found out it was a muggle-born…

"I heard it was Ned Tongs, that Mudblood kid." Bellatrix remarked offhandly.

"I think that was his name. I don't know." Andromeda said with a shrug, trying very hard not to correct Bellatrix that his name was Ted Tonks.

"I can't believe some Mudblood got you kicked out of class. I mean, that he even thinks that he can talk to you." Bellatrix said in an outcry shooting a random kid a look.

"Who said that he was the one that got me kicked out of class?" Andromeda yelled glaring at Bellatrix. "It could have been me."

"Please Andromeda, like you would get kicked out of class. Why are you defending some Mudblood?" Bellatrix asked waving a hand at Andromeda to dismiss the idea of her getting in trouble herself.

"I'm not defending him; I just don't appreciate you assuming I can't get into trouble." Andromeda told her pouting into her food.

"All right, all right. Don't pout; you know how mother thinks you'll get wrinkles if you pout." Bellatrix admonished ruffling Andromeda's hair.

"Because mother doesn't have a spell for that." Andromeda said snarkily with a roll of her eyes.

"Why Ms. Black, are you implying our mother's face does not look so naturally young and fresh? That is the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard of!" Bellatrix replied with mock-shock.

"No, Ms. Black that is not at all what I was implying. The very idea that our mother does not look like a woman of her early thirties would be the most ludicrous thing I believe I have ever heard. It is quite obvious to me that Rosier's just age wonderfully. Narcissa is a very lucky girl to have gotten those genes." Andromeda punctuated trying very hard not to crack up laughing.

"If Aunt Walburga is anything to go by we are both thoroughly screwed." Bellatrix said dryly making Andromeda crack up.

"That isn't funny; Aunt Walburga looks dreadfully old for her age." She croaked, trying very hard not to look like a sputtering idiot as she coughed up her pumpkin juice which she had mistakenly taken a sip of.

"Then maybe you ought to stop pouting. I bet Aunt Walburga was a mighty scowler." Bellatrix told her with a smirk as Andromeda finally regained her breath.

"I do believe I have finished my lunch." Andromeda told her looking down at her meal which was splattered in pumpkin juice.

"Really, Andromeda, how unladylike." Bellatrix said in a shrill that sounded so much like their Aunt Walburga that Andromeda broke down into another fit of giggles.

* * *

><p>Andromeda was sitting in the common room with Bellatrix after dinner, feet propped up on her sister's lap.<p>

"So Roger, what do you think? Would you like to make a stop in the broom closet?" Bellatrix trilled batting her eyelashes at Andromeda.

"Well Martha, considering I've shagged basically every other girl within this castle, even the muggle-borns, I can't help but deny your offer." Andromeda replied in a voice a few octaves lower than her own.

"Why even the mudbloods Roger? Are you that desperate for female attention that you would sink that low? What does that say about me if I'm willing to sleep with you?" Bellatrix asked in a falsetto, eyes spreading wide and a hand flying to her chest.

"Nothing quite good I'm afraid, but really Martha, it's common knowledge what you've been getting about to." Andromeda answered shooting a wink at Bellatrix.

"Getting about to? Whatever could you mean Roger? I'm even more pure than my stick in the mud cousin Andromeda. By the way did you hear she had detention tonight? Quite shocking, isn't it?" Bellatrix stated smirking at Andromeda.

"Yes, actually, I had heard, since apparently nothing else of remote interest has happened yet." Andromeda replied with a roll of her eyes before smiling. "But now that you've mentioned Andromeda, I feel I must inform you that the whole time we are off in that broom closet I'm going to be imagining you're her as she is possibly the most attractive girl in the school. Far more attractive than that other cousin of yours."

"Oh? Who? Narcissa? Well I do hope you wouldn't be imagining I'm her, she is only thirteen after all, Roger." Bellatrix said breathily as across the common room Martha leaned extremely close to Roger Mulstrode.

"She is not going to kiss him right here." Andromeda said in disbelief, voice returning to normal as she watched her cousin move her face an inch away from the boy she was sitting with.

"Perhaps she is trying to secure his affections; she is debuting this year after all." Bellatrix said apathetically rolling her eyes at her cousin.

"I'm not sure whoring yourself around Hogwarts is the way to secure a husband. It certainly doesn't seem like the most effective method. I don't think there's a single pureblood in Slytherin who hasn't slept with her. Who isn't below fifteen." Andromeda replied wrinkling up her nose.

"She really ought to have been more mindful about how her reputation would spread. She's probably ruined her possibilities and now no one will want her. What she ought to have done was get a husband first then wait until her husband had graduated and she had free range." Bellatrix commented.

"That what you did, Bella?" Andromeda asked smirking as her sister feigned outrage at these words.

"Maybe it is." She finally said coyly before getting up. "Don't you have detention to be off to?"

"Fuck." Andromeda cursed getting up quickly and looking for her shoes.

"Oi, missy watch your language. Do I need to tell father on you?" Bellatrix admonished jokingly as Andromeda stood up from searching under the couch.

"I can't find my shoes." She told Bellatrix standing for a few seconds before deciding that she didn't need them and speeding off to McGonagall's office.

* * *

><p>Arriving about two minutes late and without shoes on, Andromeda entered the office red faced and panting.<p>

"Ms. Black. Is tardiness becoming a thing for you?" Professor McGonagall asked almost at once making Andromeda turn pink, although it was impossible to tell in her current state.

"No, professor. Sorry, professor. I was in the Slytherin common room with my sister and I lost track of time." Andromeda explained between pants of breath, McGonagall did not seem happy with this answer.

"You and Mr. Tonks, who got here on time Ms. Black and fully dressed, will be cleaning the trophy room. Without magic." McGonagall told her sternly looking disapprovingly at her lack of shoes.

"Yes, professor." Andromeda and Tonks said at the same time, following her as she lead them upstairs to the trophy room where a bucket of soap and water were waiting.

"I will back in two hours." Professor McGonagall told them before closing the door and walking out.

Almost as soon as she was gone Tonks turned to Andromeda and smiled.

"So know any counter spells for these 'no magic' spells?" He asked with a smile on his face.

"I don't have my wand." She told him blandly taking off her school jumper and rolling up her sleeves.

"You what?" He asked in disbelief staring at her with wide eyes as she dipped a sponge into the water and got to work on one of the trophies, which she noted with a smile had the Black name on it.

"I left it in the common room, along with my shoes." Andromeda answered setting to work.

"Maybe nargles took them." He offered off-handily causing Andromeda to turn and look at him sharply.

"Maybe what took them?" She asked almost harshly. "If you are suggesting some muggle thing stole my wand and trainers-."

"Nargles aren't muggle." Tonks explained cutting her off with a laugh. "They're something my friend Xenophilius made up. Or at least I think he made up, I wasn't entirely sure if they were real or not, but he's always saying stuff like that. Says his favourite animal is a crumple-horned snorkack whatever that is."

"Isn't Xenophilius that Ravenclaw who is absolutely bonkers?" Andromeda asked conversationally, or at least as conversationally as she got, which was always mildly offensive.

"I s'pose so. I don't really think he's bonkers, just an eccentric but a lot of people seem to think so." Tonks answered with a shrug setting to work on another trophy.

They sat in silence for a little while, cleaning the trophies before Tonks gave a huff of annoyance.

"What?" Andromeda inquired.

"Just how many Black trophies are there in here? I think there are about twenty on this shelf alone." He huffed glaring at said trophies as if they had wronged him personally.

"Probably tons." Andromeda said snottily; glad to have her family's greatness recognized. "We are a very noble and successful family."

Tonks snorted at Andromeda's response causing her to give him a fierce glare.

"Sorry. I just think you're pride in your family is a bit overstated. Who's Cedrella Black?" Tonks asked conversationally as he cleaned Cedrella Black's trophy.

"We don't talk about her." Andromeda told him sharply, hoping to dissuade him from the subject, although achieving quite the opposite.

"Why not? She must be pretty wonderful to have received a trophy." Tonks commented off-handily, finishing the trophy.

"She was disowned. Brought shame to the family. No longer exists." Andromeda informed him a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Disowned? You disown people from your family?" Tonks asked incredulous stopping what he was doing to turn and stare at Andromeda, eyes wide.

"Yes. If they do something that will bring disgrace to the Black name they are disowned. Toujours Pur." Andromeda answered wearily, not wishing to discuss the dark parts of her family history.

"What'd she do that was so bad? And God bless you." He inquired raising a brow as he cleaned the next trophy.

"Don't say your weird muggle-born phrases to me. I didn't sneeze; I was saying the family motto. Toujours Pur, always pure." Andromeda snapped glaring vehemently at Tonks who raised his hands in apology. "And so you will stop asking, she married Septimus Weasley."

"Isn't that Arthur's dad?" Tonks asked, quite innocently as if the idea had just popped into his head. "What's so bad about him? Arthur is nice enough."

"One, he's a muggle sympathizer, which is bad enough. Two, he's a blood-traitor, and if there's anything pure-bloods hate besides muggle-borns and muggles it's blood-traitors." Andromeda answered, quite cross at this point and wishing he would stop questioning the black marks of her family.

"Sorry. Didn't realize that pure-bloods hated anything besides muggle-borns." Tonks tried to joke, although Andromeda's comment had annoyed him a bit. "Anyways if Cedrella, weird name by the way, married Arthur's dad does that mean you guys are related?"

"No!" Andromeda shrieked in disgust glaring at Tonks for even suggesting the idea. "I am not related to that blood-traitor, she was disowned. We carry no relation."

"Yes, okay, but genetically speaking-." Tonks began before Andromeda sent him such a look that he shut up instantly. "All right, you guys aren't related, sorry. So is Cedrella the only disowned member of the Black family?"

"Not even in the least bit. When I say our motto is Toujours Pur, I mean it. You can get blasted off the tree for looking at a muggle the wrong way. Let alone a muggle-born or blood-traitor." Andromeda answered with a sigh, already drained from this conversation, discussing her family's politics was always a bit tiresome for her.

"So, you're risking your inheritance just talking to me then." Tonks said wryly smiling at Andromeda who ignored him, instead focusing on the trophy she was cleaning. "So tell me more about the Black sheep."

Andromeda raised a brow at him as Tonks broke out laughing at his own joke, which in her mind wasn't very funny.

"Too many to get into. I don't even know them all. There's four in our most recent history, with a fifth on the way with how my Uncle Alphard's been acting." Andromeda stated, almost to herself than to him.

"Do tell." Tonks said with a curiosity in his voice that made Andromeda stop dead.

"Why do you care?" She asked suddenly turning to give him a cold look.

"I like to know that even the 'Great and Noble House of Black' isn't perfect, is all. It allows my scum Mudblood mind some peace as I lie in the dirt and filth." He bit at her making her blink and feel guilt, although she hadn't said anything pertaining to his muggle-born nature in a while.

"I didn't say anything-." She began to defend before he cut her off.

"But you were thinking it, you lot are always thinking it, which is sad because frankly all the 'Mudbloods' in this school are probably ten times nicer and more clever than the purebloods. I don't know if it's all the inbreeding or the rich kid attitude." Tonks cut her off glaring at the trophy as he cleaned it off, which Andromeda couldn't help but note looked odd on his face.

"I ought to slap you for that." She told him halfheartedly.

"Well why don't you?" He asked peering at her with the same look that he had given her in the compartment the other day, the same look that she once again missed.

"Partly because you're mostly right. At least half the Slytherins in this school are as dumb as a bag of bricks, which personally I blame on the inbreeding. They're all a lot of Charles II's of Spain aren't they? How my cousins Sirius and Regulus came out so normal and clever I'll never guess." Andromeda explained thinking aloud again, something she found herself doing often.

"How do you know who Charles II is?" He asked her turning to face her as Andromeda became much more intent on the trophy she was cleaning.

"Inbreeding is something that is extremely relevant in my life." She muttered as Tonks gave her another look, which she didn't like in the least so she added spitefully. "You were wrong on the other regard though, we are better than you. More magic and all that, I'm not entirely unconvinced that you didn't steal magic from another wizard like Martha said."

"They really drill that in deep don't they?" Tonks replied, much darker than he had been a moment before.

"What? That mug-Mudbloods are dirt? They don't need to drill it in deep, it's an obvious fact. Anyone with brains can tell." Andromeda said sharply stuttering a bit on the word 'Mudblood', hoping that Tonks wouldn't notice.

Tonks peered at her for a few seconds questioningly making her feel rather uncomfortable.

"What?" She finally asked snapping and turning to face him.

"I'm just trying to figure you out is all. This isn't the first time you've stuttered over saying Mudblood, I can say it easier than you can, and I'm not entirely convinced you believe that whole philosophy. I'm wondering how different you'd have turned out if you hadn't been raised as a Black." Tonks answered rubbing his chin as he talked making Andromeda glare at him further.

"If I hadn't been raised a Black I would have some stupid name like Stephanie." She replied bluntly.

"That's my sister's name!" He yelped in outrage.

"Exactly." She continued glaring at him cutting her off. "Furthermore, I don't have any issue saying Mudblood, why would I? That's what you are, it's your proper name, and as for the whole philosophy thing, I do believe it. Whole heartedly, purebloods are better than mudbloods, we have more magic and we are cleverer, despite the inbreeding."

Tonks glared at her and she glared back, challenging him to say anything more about her or her family.

"I guess I was wrong." He finally said still glaring. "That must have been the Hufflepuff in me trying to make you more human. It's quite clear to me now you're just like the rest of them."

Andromeda smirked in triumph, glad the muggle-born would leave her alone, because despite his prodding she was just like all the other Blacks. Except deep down, in a part of her that she tried to ignore she was disappointed and begin to wonder if she really was like the rest of them, if she really did think muggle-borns were dirt.


	2. Chapter Two

"Where did you go last night?" Andromeda asked her sister at breakfast one October morning, digging into her porridge. "You've been disappearing a lot lately."

"There was a meeting last night." Bellatrix told her excitedly, leaning over the table and getting some of her long black hair in the porridge. "Merlin, Andromeda, I can't wait until you're seventeen and you can come too, this man is absolutely brilliant."

"Another one of your Knight of Walpurgis meetings?" Andromeda asked knowingly.

Bellatrix hadn't stopped talking about the Knights of Walpurgis since the week before school had started up again when Rodulphus had taken her to a meeting after much begging on Bellatrix's part. Andromeda noted that her sister was possibly even more fanatic about it than her soon to be brother-in-law, who she had heard discussing it in detail prior over many family dinners that he had been invited to.

"Yes! I can't wait until I graduate and I can join them officially Andy. Voldemort, that's the name of the guy in charge, he's already told me he has tons of missions for me for when I can move about more freely and Rodulphus is completely okay with it." Bellatrix exclaimed, gesticulating wildly as she got worked up over the idea of being a full time member.

"Are they really that great?" Andromeda asked taking a bite out of her porridge and glancing at the mess Bellatrix was making in her excitement, more than a few tendrils of her hair had slipped into the porridge at this point and she had spilled her pumpkin juice onto the table cloth.

"Andy, you have no idea! They're great! They actually want to do something about the increasing Mudblood problem that has been taking over in this world, I mean, could you imagine? A world free of mudbloods, where there is just us pureblood wizards all the time not having to breathe the same air as them?" Bellatrix continued taking a bite out of the bread she was holding fiercely as if to further prove her point.

"How do they intend to do that?" Andromeda asked quietly, trying to make up for the large amount of attention that Bellatrix was garnering them, as quite a few Slytherins were listening in on their conversation at this point.

"The best way! I can't tell you right now, Andy, all very top secret, but when you join after January, when you're seventeen, you can know all about it. Well not all, I mean, I'm not even privy to all of his plans as I'm not a full time member, but I will be! Then we can be members together!" Bellatrix cried smiling brightly at her sister who was beginning to worry about just how top secret the Knights of Walpurgis really were.

"Are you talking about the Knights of Walpurgis?" Charles Parkinson asked from nearby Bellatrix, having overheard her as she was getting progressively louder.

"Yes! I forgot that you were there last night, Charles. Wasn't it just absolutely brilliant?" Bellatrix answered leaning over and looking at Charles, more of her hair landing in her now cold porridge, although Bellatrix didn't seem to care.

"Yes, Merlin, when he brought in that kid and gave us an example!" Charles commented getting up to move over to where Bellatrix was sitting, followed by his band of friends who Andromeda assumed were also present at the Knights of Walpurgis meeting.

"Aren't you just counting down the days until your seventeenth so you can go?" Augustus Rockwood asked Andromeda, sitting down next to her, being excluded from the conversation as he was only sixteen as well.

"Oh yes, I suppose we'll just have to live off what little tidbits we can get until then, huh?" Andromeda agreed as exuberantly as she could muster.

She wasn't quite sure how she felt on the whole Knights of Walpurgis front, but somehow she got the growing feeling that she was not as interested in it as the rest of her fellow pureblood Slytherins, something seemed fishy to her that no one else picked up.

"Yes. You're lucky though, your birthday is in January, mine isn't until July." Augustus told her looking downcast at the table clearly sad to be left out of the group for even longer.

"Oh, it's all right Augustus. I'll, I'll wait to join until you're seventeen. Then you won't be completely left out and we can be ignorant together." Andromeda offered patting him on the shoulder awkwardly.

"You would do that for me?" Augustus asked, looking up at Andromeda and smiling broadly. "You would exclude yourself so I wouldn't feel alone?"

"Oh, well sure. That's what friends are for, aren't they?" She answered smiling back so that Augustus would believe her.

If she was being completely honest with herself, telling Augustus she would wait was just a way for her to put off having to join and therefore make Bellatrix hate her, because she felt like as soon as she went to one of the Knights meetings she would know why they sounded off and she wouldn't be able to join them, even with Bellatrix's pleading face. Unluckily for Andromeda, and Augustus, Bellatrix over heard her.

"Don't be stupid, Andy. That's sweet and all, but you're going to want to join the Knights as soon as possible, plus the sooner you join the more time we can spend time together!" Bellatrix interrupted shooting a very nasty glare at Augustus for interfering with her life plans, when a Slytherin wanted something they got what they wanted, despite who stood in their way.

"Oh yes, of course. I couldn't let you put off the Knights for me, Andromeda. That would be extremely selfish. I'll be fine waiting until July; I wouldn't want to rob you of such a great experience." Augustus conceded as Bellatrix stared him down.

"All right then, Augustus, but I mean if you really want me to wait…" Andromeda tried again feeling rather annoyed that everyone always did whatever Bellatrix wanted.

"Don't be ridiculous, Andy. Augustus will be fine." Bellatrix told her with a wave of her hand and another sharp look at Augustus. "You are simply too nice."

* * *

><p>"So do you think Bellatrix could get me into the Knights?" Persimmon whispered to Andromeda at the prefect meeting.<p>

Andromeda sighed, all it had been the past week had been Knights of Walpurgis this, and Knights of Walpurgis that, especially with her sister, what had happened to the good old days of making fun of cousin Martha as she hit on another Slytherin and making jibes at their rather insane aunt? Most of their conversations revolved around the Knights now, and when Andromeda could join, and how she was going to have to start saying Mudblood.

At least she was getting better on that front.

"Maybe, she still isn't a full time member yet, so I don't know how much standing she has." Andromeda whispered back trying very hard not to sound extremely tired.

It wasn't, after all, Persimmon's fault that Bellatrix had been talking her ear off about the Knights. It also wasn't her fault that she had somehow become Augustus' ally in darkness and he often hunted her out in the library when she was trying to do her homework to discuss what the Knights were possibly doing that night at the meeting they were supposed to be having.

Andromeda just counted herself lucky that she had ended up with Travers as her patrol partner over Rockwood, although Travers mentioned the Knights of Walpurgis a bit too much for her liking as well. Not nearly as often, but he somehow managed to slip it into conversation.

There had even been rumours about how some students might start a junior Knights of Walpurgis group for the purebloods at Hogwarts who were still underage and therefore couldn't join the real group. Andromeda hoped they were just that, rumours.

"Well she got you a spot, didn't she?" Persimmon asked implying that Andromeda getting a spot in was some big miracle.

"Well I am a Black, it's not like me getting in would be a hindrance to this Voldemort fellow." Andromeda whispered back, slightly annoyed at Persimmon for implying that she wasn't good enough. "Isn't your brother in the group? Why can't he get you in?"

"He says I'm too daft. Won't even try." Persimmon whined putting on her best pouty face to try and guilt Andromeda into asking for her.

Unfortunately for Andromeda, she was a big sucker for the pouty face and anyone who knew her long enough was well aware of this fact.

"Fine. I'll ask, but I wouldn't get your hopes up." Andromeda conceded.

"Thank you!" Persimmon shrieked rather loudly giving Andromeda a hug and drawing the attention of everyone else in the room.

"Have you two been paying any attention to what we have been saying for the last half hour?" Molly snapped glaring at two of her least favourite prefects.

"Yes." Persimmon said automatically, although she hadn't, because she hated being accused of not paying attention or being daft.

"Then what was I just saying?" Molly asked smugly, smiling as Persimmon drew a blank.

Molly looked pointedly at Andromeda who shrugged.

"I wasn't paying attention." She told her blatantly, eliciting a few laughs from her fellow Slytherins and a rather annoying chortle from Martha, who was trying hard to get on her good side so she too could earn a spot with the Knights in two years.

"What then, pray tell, was so important that you couldn't pay attention?" Molly asked oozing annoyance at Andromeda's blatant disregard for her authority.

"The Knights of Walpurgis." Persimmon said cheerfully, straightening up to show off her importance.

Andromeda gave her a quick and very painful jab in the leg.

"Ow!" She shrieked clutching her leg. "What'd you do that for?"

Andromeda glared at her very pointedly as did the rest of the Slytherins, while the rest of the group looked on in shock.

"The what?" Magnus MacDonald, the fifth year prefect for Hufflepuff asked breaking the tense silence.

"I'm going to ask you two to leave." Molly told Andromeda and Persimmon sharply. "We won't have anyone fraternizing with that group in the prefects, who are supposed to be protecting the student body."

Andromeda couldn't help it, she snorted, very loudly and very clearly as if this was the most ludicrous idea in the world.

"We won't have everyone who we know are a part of the Knights of Walpurgis in the prefects." Arthur amended glaring at Andromeda.

"For your information, Weasley, Persimmon nor I are in the Knights. I'm only sixteen and as you can quite tell Persimmon is far too daft to be accepted. Just because we were talking about them does not mean that we are a part of them or that we necessarily condone their behavior." Andromeda defended crossing her arms and shooting a glare back at him.

She was not going to be accused of being a part of a group that she was neither apart of nor entirely sure she wanted to be a part of, she hadn't been lying when she said she wasn't sure she condoned their behavior.

"Fine, we're going to ask you two to leave for this meeting and let this be a warning to anyone in this room who has joined or is considering joining the Knights. You two sort out your feelings on the matter and then come back next week and let us know where your royalties lie." Molly said curtly getting up and opening the door of the classroom for Andromeda and Persimmon.

Putting her nose in the air as if to snub them, Andromeda walked out the room followed by Persimmon who looked far less regal, but instead very enraged. As soon as they left and the door was closed she turned on Andromeda.

"I am not daft!" She yelled angrily, hands balling into fists, eyes ablaze.

"You could have fooled me. Who outright states they were talking about the Knights of Walpurgis, you know they treasure secrecy above everything else." Andromeda said wryly rolling her eyes as Persimmon worked herself into a rage, if the Knights heard about this incident then she and Persimmon would be out for sure which, Andromeda concluded, might not be an entirely bad thing.

"It slipped my mind for a second. That doesn't mean you can go embarrassing me in front of blood-traitors and mudbloods!" Persimmon screeched stamping her foot.

"I think you did that on your own." Andromeda deadpanned.

"I, I hate you! You Blacks get everything handed to you on a silver platter and then you think you can treat the rest of us like garbage, just because you're pretty, and rich, and have the purest blood around doesn't mean you're better than everyone else!" Persimmon stuttered out, barely able to express words in the state of anger she was in, between being embarrassed and Andromeda's detachment.

"Actually, it kind of does." Andromeda told her; unable to help herself even though she knew it was entirely the wrong thing to say at that moment.

"You know what, Black? Someone ought to take you down a peg or two!" Persimmon yelled whipping out her wand threateningly.

"You're going to be the one to do it, I suppose?" Andromeda asked barking out a laugh. "I am so very terrified."

"Fu-Furnunculus!" Persimmon shrieked pointing her wand at Andromeda who yelped in pain as boils spread out all over her face. "Not so pretty now are you?"

"Merlin, Persimmon, you are so fucking stupid." Andromeda said glaring at the girl ignoring the boils all over her face. "Not only did you attack me outside a bloody prefects meeting, but you can't even cast spells non-verbally! What'd you get on your Charms OWL, a T?"

"I can too cast non-verbal spells!" Persimmon screeched glaring at Andromeda, before pointing her wand at her and thinking very hard.

"I'm sorry? Were you just trying to cast a charm, because that was extremely pitiful." Andromeda remarked snarkily rolling her eyes.

"Slugulus Eructo!" Persimmon yelled pointing her wand menacingly at Andromeda uttering the spell she had been trying pitifully to cast non-verbally.

About to utter another snarky comment that would undoubtedly do more damage than good, Andromeda doubled over and found herself puking up slugs all over the floor, and to her satisfaction, onto Persimmon's shoes.

"That's it!" Molly Prewett yelled slamming open the classroom door as Andromeda pointedly threw up another slug onto a shrieking Persimmon's shoes. "I'm giving both of you detention."

"What?" Persimmon yelped turning around to look at Molly. "But I didn't even do anything!"

Molly looked at her with one eyebrow raised and Persimmon huffed in defeat.

"To be fair." Andromeda tried to get out before she threw up another slug, this time onto Persimmon's skirt. "I actually didn't do anything."

Molly went to look at her to shoot her another disbelieving look, but then glanced at Persimmon and saw that she was entirely unharmed.

"You actually didn't." She said almost in awe at the unscathed Persimmon who was still trying to get out of her detention.

"Of course I didn't, I'm not an idiot." Andromeda managed to get out before throwing up another slug. "Now if I could be escorted to the hospital wing…"

"Right. Arthur, bring Andromeda to the hospital wing, yeah?" Molly said nodding to herself as she took charge. "The rest of you, I think it's safe to conclude that this prefect meeting is over, you're all dismissed. Persimmon you will be meeting Professor Slughorn for detention tomorrow at seven."

'That is so unfair!" Persimmon yelled one last time, her whining falling on deaf ears.

* * *

><p>"So what exactly happened?" The school nurse, Madame Renfield asked as Andromeda puked another slug up into the bucket, the boils slowly being removed from her face.<p>

"Persimmon Nott got rather mad at me, I antagonized her, and then she cast a few hexes on me. I probably shouldn't have antagonized her." Andromeda explained before hurling another slug into the slowly filling bucket.

"What were you bickering about?" Madame Renfield asked across the room in search of another bucket.

Unfortunately, Andromeda had a rather nasty vomiting attack and found herself unable to answer so Arthur Weasley filled Madame Renfield in.

"We were at a prefects meeting and she and Persimmon were whispering to themselves, found out they were talking about the Knights of Walpurgis so Molly Prewett kicked them out. About as soon as they got out there Persimmon started shrieking her head off about how Andromeda had embarrassed her in front of the, uh, blood traitors and, er, muggle-borns, except she used a less kind word mind." Arthur began to explain, rushing to get it all out while Andromeda puked up slugs into her bucket. "Then Andromeda antagonized her a bit and called her stupid so Persimmon cast a curse on her. Andromeda antagonized her some more, so she cast another curse and then Molly broke it up."

"Is that what happened, Ms. Black?" Madame Renfield asked disapprovingly.

Andromeda nodded, as that was all she could do with slugs vacating her mouth every few seconds.

"I puked slugs on Persimmon a few times for good measure." She informed her, as if proud of this fact, before more slugs exited her mouth.

"And you were discussing the Knights of Walpurgis?" Madame Renfield asked, crossing her arms and expecting an answer.

"Yes, but not the way anyone thinks. Persimmon was begging me to get her in somehow, I don't know why she thought I'd be able to since I have nothing to do with the Knights in the least, and I told her I'd see what I could do mostly to get her to shut up because I'm honestly quite sick of hearing about them." Andromeda explained pausing every now and again to throw up slugs into her bucket.

"And you're not a part of the Knights?" Madame Renfield asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No ma'am. Couldn't even if I wanted to, which mind I really don't think I do, but don't tell anyone I said that. I don't really get off on this whole 'the muggle-born must be eradicated nonsense' which is what they're totally into. I just don't want to be sharing the same breathing space as them. They can go live off peaceful existences as far away from me as possible, and I'll be perfectly happy." Andromeda told her rather quietly so anyone else in the Hospital Wing couldn't hear.

"You don't want all muggle-borns dead?" Arthur asked in surprise by her side.

"No." Andromeda replied with a roll of her eyes. "How would having them dead benefit me at all?"

"But Ted Tonks told me-." Arthur began before Andromeda cut him off with a very sharp look.

"I haven't talked to Ted Tonks since the first day of school. He doesn't know anything about me and anything he told you might as well be false." Andromeda said curtly.

"Oh, well he was under the impression that you thought he was complete filth, below you and all that. Not even worthy to wipe your shoe on." Arthur said more quietly, hands in his pockets.

"I do, but that doesn't mean I want him dead. It just means I want him as far away from me as possible. Not every pureblood is a killer, Weasley." Andromeda told him, before puking once again into her bucket.

* * *

><p>The news had spread over night. Andromeda, who had spent the night in the Hospital per Madame Renfield's request, walked into the Great Hall for breakfast entirely unaware of the tidal wave of gossip that was awaiting her.<p>

"Are you all right?" One of the Slytherin girls asked almost as soon as Andromeda sat down.

"Yes?" Andromeda answered, bewildered as to all the interest she was suddenly garnering.

On any other day Andromeda could walk around the school almost entirely unnoticed. In between Bellatrix, who was loud and crash, and Narcissa, who was the perfect lady and the epitome of a socialite, Andromeda generally fell to the wayside, which was how she liked it.

As the smart sister Andromeda held no interest to the rest of Hogwarts, getting top marks in Transfiguration wasn't the stuff gossip was made of, especially when Bellatrix was practically starting anti-muggle-born crusades in the middle of the hallway. Therefore she was very surprised when she found herself the topic of numerous conversations and ergo the centre of attention.

"Is it true you were coughing up slugs all night?" Zelda Greengrass asked from the right of Andromeda, leaning forward in sympathy.

"Not all night. Madame Renfield simply wanted me to spend the night to make sure there weren't any residual side-effects." Andromeda answered, spreading jam onto her bagel.

"Oh you poor dear!" Katrina MacNair, Walden's younger sister, whimpered. "I cannot simply believe Persimmon would do something like that, to you of all people! Suffice to say, we shall not be speaking with her anymore."

The girls who had crowded Andromeda nodded in agreement and snubbed their noses at the mention of Persimmon's name. At the mention of her name Andromeda glanced over to where Persimmon usually sat at the end of the table, and noted with smug satisfaction that she was sitting entirely alone, eyes downcast as she glumly ate her cereal. That had worked out quite neatly for her, after all no one messes with a Black and gets away with it.

"So, why do I keep hearing everyone talking about you like you're some martyr?" Bellatrix asked shooting Zelda Greengrass a dirty look as she had taken her customary seat next to Andromeda.

Zelda Greengrass moved almost instantly.

"You haven't heard?" Katrina asked, gasping in shock. "Persimmon attacked Andromeda last night. During the prefects meeting!"

"It wasn't exactly during-." Andromeda tried to correct before Martha Rosier cut her off.

"Oh it was awful! I was there. We were discussing rotaries when almost out of the blue Persimmon stood up and started attacking Andromeda! Andromeda was clever and used protego to fight off the brunt of her attacks, but that nasty slug vomiting one got through and Andromeda, poor dear, had to spend the whole night in the Hospital Wing!" She dramaticized, patting Andromeda's hand in sympathy every once in a while to play up her story. "It was just when I was about to come to Andromeda's defense that Molly Prewett, she's the Head Girl, cut in and nearly expelled her!"

Andromeda stared at her, flabbergasted, as all the other girls gasped in shock and began patting Andromeda's hand as well to show their support. There were a few whispered "I am so sorry"s as Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at Andromeda, not for a second believing Martha's story. It was at this moment that Narcissa came running into the Great Hall, as fast as a proper lady was allowed.

"Andy, are you all right?" She asked as soon as she was in a respectable earshot. "I heard Persimmon summoned a bear from her wand and it almost attacked you before the Heads stepped in. I'm sure it was a terrible fright!"

If Andromeda had been confused and surprised at the twists in her story before, she was completely at a loss now. She had been conscious before that Hogwarts was quite the rumour mill, but she had not known until this moment just how drastically and ridiculously the population threw stories out of proportion. The fact that anyone even believed there had been a bear present made her head hurt alone.

Before she could open her mouth to correct Narcissa and inform every one of the truth, Martha Rosier cut her off once again, apparently enjoying being one of the only reliable eyewitnesses. If the term reliable was used lightly.

"Oh there was! I was just getting around to mentioning it! As I was getting up to help Andromeda it seemed as though Persimmon all but cracked and she summoned this big, hulking, black bear out of her wand! I, of course, shot it with a quick 'stupefy' and then Molly Prewett banished it. As soon as it was gone she turned to Persimmon and told her if she ever did anything like that again she would certainly be expelled." Martha expounded, making up the story almost as soon as the thought popped into her head.

If Andromeda could give her nothing else, it was that she was a very good storyteller, even if the tale seemed a little improbable.

Trying very hard not to scoff at Martha's addition to the tale, Andromeda tried to direct her attention elsewhere and couldn't help but note that Molly Prewett and Arthur Weasley had a bit of a crowd around them as well, most likely because they had been the saviors of one of the Black sisters.

Slightly annoyed that this implied she need a savior, Andromeda realized with a sense of dread that Arthur Weasley had been present for her expounding of truth the night before in the Hospital Wing. If what she had said got out then Andromeda would most certainly be ruined, she would have to ensure that the Weasley boy did not talk.

* * *

><p>"Weasley." Andromeda barked when she found the red-haired boy by himself in a hallway.<p>

"Yes, Black? If you don't mind I'm running a little late to class." He replied, a hint of annoyance in his voice at being stopped when he was clearly in a hurry, by a Black no less.

"That's quite all right, what I have to say to you won't take long at all." Andromeda told him with a shrug and complete disregard that he was in a rush, walking forward so she wouldn't have to yell her private request across the hallway.

"Well?" He demanded with a raised eyebrow and a tap of his foot when she did not instantly begin whatever it was she had to say.

"I would greatly appreciate it if you did not mention to anyone what I told Madame Renfield in the Hospital Wing last night." She informed him.

"What you said?" He asked, scratching his head as he tried to remember what it was she was talking about.

"Yes, about the Knights of Walpurgis and my position on muggle-borns." She hissed out, trying with all her might not to roll her eyes at the blood-traitor's stupidity.

"I don't think you have to worry about that. Everyone in the school already knows about your poor opinion of muggle-borns." Arthur told her dryly. "It's not exactly going to ruin your reputation."

"Except it is." Andromeda said annoyance evident in her voice as Arthur cocked his head in confusion. "Maybe not to you blood-traitors and muggle-lovers, but to my fellow Slytherins. If they find out I'm not entirely in favor of the Knights and I don't want muggle-borns eradicated then I'll be just as worse off as you."

"Merlin, are you telling me you're actually afraid of looking too human?" Arthur asked in shock, running a hand through his hair as he tried to process this news.

"You don't understand. If anyone finds out I'll be ostracized, maybe even disowned. I can't even begin to think what Bella would say if she found out. She's so excited about us serving together, and I don't think..." Andromeda defended before stopping realizing she was saying too much. "Just promise you won't tell, all right?"

Arthur stared at her for a few seconds, assessing the situation and Andromeda tried very hard not to glare, aware that that would not help win him over to her side.

"I s'pose, but I'm going to need something in return." He finally said smirking as Andromeda tried very hard not to grimace.

"What do you want?" She spat out angered at her own stupidity.

Of course he would have wanted something in return; nothing in life ever came free, especially for a Black. However, she didn't have much of a choice in the matter, if her less than harsh opinions on muggle-borns got out she would be ruined. She was already treading the line with how often she stuttered on the word "Mudblood", and if Bellatrix ever found out she didn't think she could handle the disappointment, or rage as the case very well maybe. One could never quite tell which way it was going to go with Bellatrix.

On the other hand, she hated owing a favour to anyone, especially a blood-traitor. Who knows what he might ask her to do? There was always a chance that it would be something that ruined her reputation even more than her lack of delight in the Knights of Walpurgis. Regardless of the coming repercussions Andromeda couldn't afford to say no.

"I don't know yet, but I rather fancy the idea of you owing me a favour." Arthur answered, rubbing his hand across his chin as if in deep thought.

"Spoken like a Slytherin. You sure you were put in the right house?" Andromeda spat, trying to hurt him emotionally for forcing her to help him in what was sure to be an idiotic endeavor.

Arthur glared at her for her comment and then stuck out his hand so that they could shake on it. Andromeda looked at his hand in disgust, not wanting to shake hands with a blood-traitor, but reluctantly placed her own hand within his own.

"It's a deal then." Arthur said with a smirk in response to the dark look Andromeda was giving him.

"Go to class. I hope you get a detention." She said angrily watching as he walked away with a skip in his step and a little wave.

Glaring at his retreating figure Andromeda loped off to her own class, happy that her secret was safe and completely unconcerned with the wrath she would have to face when she arrived fifteen minutes late to Ancient Runes.

* * *

><p>After serving the detention Professor Maverick had given her for arriving late to class, he had not been nearly as forgiving as Professor McGonagall; however that had come to be, Andromeda headed to meet up with Travers to patrol.<p>

"Hullo." Travers greeted with a slight smile. "I was under the impression you had been murdered by a bear."

"Me too. Shockingly I don't remember it, and I feel as though I'm very much alive. Unless if I have come back as a ghost, which would be just plain awful." Andromeda said back shaking her head at the ridiculous tales the Hogwarts population, and mostly Martha, had come up with. "Luckily, I have Martha Rosier to remind me."

"Funny thing is, neither do I. Maybe we were all obliviated except Martha. I'm sure Persimmon is capable of a spell of that caliber." Travers commented with a roll of his eyes. "You seem to have become some sort of a martyr."

"The rest of the school is definitely far more concerned with it than I am." Andromeda said wryly. "Although undoubtedly the best part is that Persimmon was taken care of for me. I didn't even have to worry about punishing her, within the rules of course."

"Well it certainly was more fitting your style." Travers remarked nodding his head.

"Whatever do you mean 'fitting my style'?" Andromeda asked tilting her head at him.

"You and your sisters all deal with people differently." Travers explained as Andromeda gave him a look to go on. "Well Bellatrix is very aggressive, which is why no one messes with her. You're more passive-aggressive, you get revenge but it's very subtle and very hard to pinpoint back to you specifically. Narcissa, well Narcissa is quite clearly passive, but she can afford to be."

"That is true I suppose. Quite funny how that worked out." Andromeda commented, nodding her agreement.

"Speaking of Bellatrix…" Travers stated causing Andromeda to jerk her head up.

"What?" She asked furrowing her eyebrows as she saw Bellatrix come stumbling into the hallway.

"Hullo Andy!" She cheered with a smile, despite her rather disheveled behavior.

"Bella, what are you doing walking about the hall at this time of night?" Andromeda asked walking forward and then wrinkling her nose. "At this level of intoxication, even?"

"There was a Knights meeting. He gets the good stuff, he does." Bellatrix answered, a smile splitting out on her face that unnerved Andromeda.

"Bella, you can't just go walking about the hallways in a drunken stupor. What if someone else had been patrolling?" Andromeda hissed trying to get her sister see reason.

"Ah don't worry 'bout that Andy-Pandy; I could just hex 'em if I had to. Besides, aren't half the prefects Mudbloods and blood-traitors anyways? I'd be doing the Dark Lord a favour." Bellatrix said ruffling Andromeda's hair to try and assuage her worries.

"You can't just go around hexing people, Bella. You need to be more careful." Andromeda told her, trying to flatten her hair.

"Travers, you're awfully quiet. Ain't you going to give me a detention?" Bellatrix asked turning to look at Travers, leaning on Andromeda.

"Aren't, Bella." Andromeda chided resulting in Bellatrix shoving her hand in her face in an attempt to wave her off.

"That depends. Can you get me into the Knights?" Travers asked with a smile, taking full advantage of drunken Bellatrix.

"Of course I can, silly. How old are you?" Bellatrix answered with a laugh.

"Seventeen in two weeks." Travers told her smirking in satisfaction.

"Sure thing, hun. The more the merrier. You don't like Mudbloods, right?" She verified suddenly taking on a serious look.

"Not in the least, and Gryffindor is full of them. I can't stand it." Travers agreed wrinkling his nose at them. "I shan't be sad to see the last Mudblood wiped from this earth, right Andromeda?"

"Oh. What? Yes! Of course! Down with the Mudbloods. Hope they all die. Kill a few myself, I will." Andromeda stuttered out as both Bellatrix and Travers turned to her. "I can't wait until I'm a Knight."

"And I can't wait until you're a Knight!" Bellatrix said with a smile. "Anyways Travers, let's shake on it and then remind me tomorrow. I'll bring you up as a candidate next meeting."

"Brilliant." Travers said shaking Bellatrix's hand.

"All right, come on Bella. Let's get you to bed." Andromeda muttered pulling Bellatrix up and leaning her against her. "Can you cover the rest of the shift?"

"Oh yeah. I'll be fine. Besides, I owe you guys. I'm going to be a Knight!" Travers assured, waving a hand to dismiss her.

With a groan Andromeda pulled her sister down the hallway, towards the Slytherin common room as Bellatrix erupted into a fit of giggles.


	3. Chapter Three

Andromeda was walking through the hall on her way to Charms off in her own little world. She was daydreaming about Kevin Broadmoor from the Falmouth Falcons. If she had been born five years earlier then she might have lucked out and gotten engaged to him instead of Walden MacNair, and then she wouldn't be looking at her graduation with such disappointment.

It wasn't that Walden was unattractive, he was well enough looking. Rather average, certainly no Kevin Broadmoor, but she supposed his dark brown hair and dark brown eyes were charming to some girls. Then again, those girls that found that charming were also the same girls that enjoyed kissing. Perhaps Andromeda just wasn't a girl, or at least not a proper one. Had there been some traumatic experience in childhood that had caused to grow up against the grain?

"Andromeda!" Someone yelled, breaking into Andromeda's moment of panic.

"Yes?" She asked, turning to where she approximated the voice had come from.

Travers ran up to her and Andromeda wondered if regular normal girls found him attractive, she certainly didn't, but if she worked under the idea that if normal girls were the exact opposite from her then they would find him attractive, wouldn't they? Working under this hypothesis Andromeda could also understand why she didn't feel as strongly about muggle-borns as the other pure-bloods did.

The real question was what had caused this anomaly? Had she been dropped on her head a few too many times as a child? When Bellatrix had 'accidently' given her antlers had that messed with her brain? Maybe they'd given her something experimental during one of her many trips to St. Mungo's that had altered and stunted the growth of her brain. If that was true could she sue for that? Why would she even need to? The Blacks had enough money to buy out St. Mungo's. Still, if it was some experimental potion then Andromeda might not be the only one! Perhaps there were other strange not-actual-girls like her!

Smiling Andromeda noted Travers lips were moving and she had missed everything he had just said to her.

"I'm sorry, what?" She asked blinking and telling herself to focus this time.

"I was wondering if you could cover for me. The Knights of Walpurgis meetings are on Wednesdays and so I can't patrol anymore." Travers said rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I wouldn't ask, but the fact that I even got into the Knights is astounding considering I'm a Gryffindor."

"Of course. It's not like anyone does anything on Wednesdays anyways and the quarter is almost over." Andromeda replied shrugging. "What are you going to do for the rest of the year though? You know, when you don't have such an understanding partner."

"It's covered; I don't have Wednesday night patrol for the rest of the year. Lucked out there, didn't I?" He answered with a laugh.

"You certainly did. However, I'm only covering for you on one condition. At some point during this year I am going to ask you to take my patrol for me, five times. Sound good?" Andromeda said smiling as Travers cursed under his breath.

"Should have known you covering for me would involve me giving you something in return. Wouldn't be a proper Slytherin if you didn't." Travers remarked shaking his head. "That sounds fair though."

"Shake on it?" Andromeda asked sticking out her hand.

Travers stuck his hand out as well and they shook on it. Letting go of his hand Andromeda started to walk away back to Charms, turning back to her thoughts.

"I just want you to know my first meeting is tonight, so I won't see you later." Travers called after her, prompting a wave in acknowledgement from Andromeda.

She was not going to get another detention for being late to class, especially if she would have to be patrolling by herself from now on.

* * *

><p>Digging into dinner Andromeda noted all the different couples around the Great Hall. She was trying to observe how normal actual girls acted with boys. Perhaps she could notice the irregularity in her behavior and then fix it. Glancing around Andromeda couldn't find anything different from them to her.<p>

"Don't think so hard, you'll break your brain." Bellatrix joked sitting down next to Andromeda at the table.

"Hasn't happened yet." Andromeda told her with a shrug.

"Then it's even more dangerous, isn't it?" Bellatrix asked nudging her with an elbow. "You're not mad are you?"

"About you saying my brain would explode? I thought you were joking." Andromeda answered confused.

"No, not that. I was joking about that. I meant about Travers getting into the Knights before you did. I know how much it means to you, so I just wanted to be sure you weren't mad." Bellatrix explained biting her lip.

"Oh. No, of course I'm not mad. I'm sure other people are getting in all the time. Besides, I've gotten five patrol skiving days out of it." Andromeda assured waving a hand to dissuade Bellatrix's worries. "Did I ever tell you how much I hate patrol? It's so dreadfully boring."

"Even when I come sauntering in pissed out of my mind?" Bellatrix joked digging into her own food.

"It does tend to brighten it a bit, but nine out of ten times nothing of even remote interest happens. Sometimes if I'm lucky there's a couple snogging in a broom closet." Andromeda sighed placing her head on her hand.

"It's a little sick that you look forward to snogging couples. Like to watch, Andy?" Bellatrix sneered nudging her sister really hard in the side.

"There is nothing I enjoy more in the world." Andromeda said in such a serious voice that Bellatrix broke out into raucous laughter.

"I don't entirely believe that isn't true." Bellatrix told her once she stopped laughing, her face a mask.

"I will neither confirm nor deny your suspicions." Andromeda quipped smirking at Bellatrix.

* * *

><p>Andromeda wandered the hallway by herself, for the first time missing Travers' non-stop talking. It wasn't that she hated being alone, she didn't mind it that much, and was generally used to it from all the times she had been put in time out or was just plain ignored when she was younger, but there was something about Hogwarts in the middle of the night that was kind of spooky.<p>

She was sure that over time she could get used to the quiet and loneliness, but as it stood it was kind of creepy to be walking about. She could easily write off all the sounds pretty easily, the castle was old after all and certainly full of ghosts and armor that moved, but she couldn't help but feel like someone was out to get her, which was completely ridiculous considering the fact that she was pure-blood and possibly the safest person in the castle.

Not for the first time Andromeda's mind turned to muggle-borns and more specifically the muggle-born she had met on her first day that year, Ted Tonks, or as he had become known amoung the pureblood population of the school 'Ned Tongs'. They hadn't spoken since she had told him he was filth and some other nonsense that she couldn't quite remember which was good. Andromeda didn't need some muggle-born who asked too many questions about her family and actually took an interest in her, that was just ludicrous.

Just because Bellatrix had been paying less attention to her, instead focusing on the Knights of Walpurgis and her upcoming marriage to Rodulphus didn't mean that she needed someone else to come in and fill the hole in her life. Perhaps if she hadn't been the middle child with disciplinary problems she wouldn't feel so alone now, being completely reliant on Bellatrix for human company, but it was too late now and her distance from normal child interaction had seriously stunted her socially.

Instead of getting to play in the mud and on playgrounds Andromeda had to attend tea parties and dress fittings, when she was invited. Narcissa had been great at tea parties, pinky out, never spilling a single drop on her nice white dress, adding her two sickles where it deemed fit. Bellatrix had taken the opposite route; she dominated the conversations at tea parties and could care less if she spilled tea on herself. Bellatrix had been a hell-raiser, but she was predictable, a sharp 'Bellatrix' from their mother and she would shut up.

Andromeda had been an absolute wreck. From a young age she had preferred books over social interactions and would either bring a book or newspaper with her to the teas, or would mention something far too political for the girls table. When she wasn't off showing her superior intellect, something that was intimidating rather than flattering, Andromeda would be trying to sneak off to play in the mud, or playing 'Grindewald v. Dumbledore' with the boys, where she always had to play on Dumbledore's side to her chagrin. Whereas Bellatrix would come home with tea stains here and there Andromeda would arrive home soaked, hair dripping mud, tracking mud all over the white carpets.

Narcissa was promoted to the adult table long before Andromeda was. At age ten Narcissa had over taken Andromeda's thirteen, and at some social occasions Andromeda was still placed at the kid tables under the pretense of 'babysitting the younger kids', which she didn't really mind as the kids had far more interesting topics than what was the new dress style that was all the rage.

Sometimes during parties Andromeda would glance at the gentleman's lounge and cautiously press her ear against the door. In those rooms were where the real party took place, politics and the sudden drop of the galleon. Of course, even if she had been allowed in those rooms Andromeda couldn't express her true feelings on politics anyways, as it was too controversial. At most parties Andromeda would find herself off in a corner table with Uncle Alphard, another person who often found himself stuck at kid tables under the pretense of 'babysitting' discussing the Knights of Walpurgis and the pros and cons of muggle-born eradication.

Perhaps her Uncle Alphard was the reason why Andromeda was so different from the rest of her peers. He was a black sheep of sorts in their family, barely still a part of the family, hanging on by a few threads. He was part of the reason why she couldn't say 'Mudblood' and he was the only one who had paid her any attention when she was younger and had therefore somehow infiltrated her mind and put his controversial ideas in. Maybe it hadn't been a result of all those trips to St. Mungos, if she really thought about it her Uncle Alphard had had a huge hand in raising her, more so than her parents, and they'd had deep in depth discussions about politics.

Vaguely Andromeda wondered if Uncle Alphard found kissing displeasing as well. Perhaps that was why he was unmarried with no children.

Andromeda shook her head to clear her thoughts; sometimes she got too internalized, thought too in detail about things that had been her problem when she had been younger. In any case, she had been thinking for her patrol and had forgotten about all the weird creaks and squeaks and creepy laughs that she hoped were Peeves. She had about five minutes left and once again nothing had happened. Wednesdays were possibly the most uneventful patrolling time; at least she had Fridays to make up for the bore.

When her five minutes were up Andromeda heaved a sigh and headed to the Slytherin common rooms and her nice warm bed, these last four patrols were going to be the longest hours of her life.

* * *

><p>Sitting in Ancient Runes Andromeda couldn't help but let her mind wander. It probably wasn't the best idea to be so inattentive to her classes when she would be taking NEWTs next year, but Andromeda had read the book already and she figured she had a pretty good grasp on the subject. Besides, Professor Maverick was rubbish at teaching Runes, he spent most of the time talking about his glory days and rarely expounded on any of the runes he wrote on the board at the beginning of every lesson.<p>

Andromeda was thinking about her Uncle Alphard again when she glanced down and noticed a note was on the edge of her desk. Wondering when it had gotten there Andromeda picked it up and tenderly unfolded it.

_Wrackspurts got your brain?_

Andromeda frowned. What were wrackspurts, and why would they have her brain? Looking around the class she noted a blonde haired boy sitting to the right of her who was most likely the perpetrator. What was his name? Xeno-something or other. He was a strange kid who often made stuff up and read that off the cuff magazine The Quibbler. One time Andromeda had picked it up in the shop out of curiosity and her mother forced her to read Witch Weekly for two weeks, possibly the worst two weeks of her life.

Glancing at the note Andromeda tried to figure out how to respond. As she did not know what wrackspurts were, she doubted anyone but this strange boy did, she was at a great disadvantage. Finally with a huff she scribbled down the first thing that popped into her head.

_No, just thinking about my uncle. Pondering life's great mysteries, etc. etc._

She waited until Professor Maverick was engaged in a deep conversation with another boy about the pranks he used to play on his teachers to slip the note onto Xeno-whatever's desk. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the boy smile at the paper and quickly scribble something else down. Within moments the paper was back on her desk.

_Or, you know, just letting your mind wander because Maverick is rather boring. I'm pretty sure telling students prank ideas isn't a good idea._

Andromeda snorted gaining a look for Professor Maverick himself.

"Yes, Ms. Black?" He asked shooting her a look, one of the only teachers that didn't like her.

"I was just laughing at your prank, Professor Maverick. You really filled the whole room with frogs?" She covered, deciding to play up to his ego.

Maverick nodded and went off on another tangent about this girl he had impressed with this one prank.

_You almost got me in trouble. Honestly I just feel sorry for anyone whose 'glory days' are from Hogwarts. Especially when they're getting on in years._

Andromeda and Xeno-whomever passed notes for the duration of the class, rather meaningless conversational pieces until, rather accidentally, Andromeda in the midst of passing a note knocked her book, which had been going unused for the whole class, onto the floor and made a large crash. As the book hit the ground the note was in between Andromeda and Xeno-whoever's hand. Professor Maverick looked up sharply and honed in on the note.

"Is that a note?" He almost seethed picking it up and reading it to himself.

Andromeda winced; she had not said particularly flattering things about Professor Maverick within the note. She was certain she would once again be getting a detention.

"Detention. Tonight at eight. Don't be late." Maverick ordered giving both Andromeda and Xeno-whoever glares. "Really Xenophilius, I expected more from you."

* * *

><p>Andromeda had gotten more detentions this year than she had in all her other years of Hogwarts. How it was that she was slipping now, in one of the most important years of her schooling, was beyond her, but maybe she ought to get her act together. A few more detentions and a letter would be sent home, and if there was anything Andromeda did not want it was sudden attention and punishment from her parents. She loathed her parents' punishments.<p>

In a sort of twisted way she had achieved what she had wanted, to no longer being the rule abiding stick in the mud that Bellatrix had mocked her so endlessly for, but with her act slipping Andromeda was beginning to remember just exactly why she behaved in classes. Getting detention every night was not something to look forward to or be proud of.

Andromeda wandered into the Ancient Runes classroom at eight o'clock, sharp, and found that Xenophilius was already there. How she had forgotten such a strange name befuddled her, but then again his name wasn't that strange considering some of the names she had grown up with.

"Oh good, you're finally here." Maverick said snidely getting up as if he had been waiting a long time.

"It's just eight though, you said be here at eight. I'm on time." Andromeda said trying to explain herself, rather pointlessly.

"I don't want your excuses. I have stuff to do and I'm already behind what with your being late and all." Maverick snapped glaring at her and walking forward with a stack of papers. "I need you two to grade these papers, they're third years and I can't be bothered."

"Yes, professor." Xenophilius said taking the papers and smiling.

"I'll be back in an hour. No goofing off." Maverick said sternly giving Andromeda an especially hard look.

As soon as he left Andromeda rolled her eyes and took half of the papers from Xenophilius.

"So it's been bothering me all day, what exactly is a wrackspurt?" She asked as she examined a third year's particularly horrendous work.

"They're these invisible creatures that can get in your minds. They can steal your thoughts, very dangerous. I was concerned for you a bit, but you seem competent enough. Sound mind and all that." Xenophilius explained with a smile, glancing at her.

"Thank you; I've always prided myself on my mind." Andromeda nodded smiling at these strange creatures. "What other creatures do you know of? You strike me as someone who is rather well read."

Xenophilius broke out in a smile at the sudden interest in his knowledge, something that did not happen often. Most people shrugged off his ideas and creatures as the ravings of a mad man so it was always fresh to see someone who would take an interest and be serious in it. He decided he would peak Andromeda's interest with the description of one of his favourite creatures, the crumple-horned snorkack.

"I plan on going to Sweden one day to find one. They're bloody brilliant! They have these curved horns and are, the best way I can describe it, giant pig like creatures." He elaborated as Andromeda nodded and tried to imagine this creature, it certainly seemed interesting.

"And does it have any magical powers?" Andromeda asked with a smile, she rather liked Xenophilius.

"Well its horn explodes when in self-defense, to no harm of itself of course. The horn eventually reforms over time, but if the snorkack blows up both it is left defenseless for a while. They are one of the world's greatest mysteries." Xenophilius answered, gesticulating as he got excited. "Here I'll draw you a picture of one."

Andromeda watched as he flipped over the paper he was currently grading and dipped his quill into the inkblot before scribbling furiously on the back. Raising an eyebrow as she watched Andromeda wondered what the kid whose paper this was would think when they saw the picture on the back. With a flourish Andromeda saw Xenophilius sign his name and then held up the paper for her to see.

It was pig-esque, but only visible in the snout and possibly the tail, the rest of the creature was covered in thick fur and had curved horns emerging from its head, one on each side as well as fangs protruding from its mouth. Andromeda resolved that she did not wish to meet this creature on any trip she took to Sweden, it looked rather scary.

"And those horns explode?" Andromeda asked tracing the horns Xenophilius had quickly drawn.

"That's right! Sometimes the fur on the snorkack can get singed off when they explode, but it's generally safe." Xenophilius agreed smiling widely. "I was going to let you keep it but I've just realized I drew it on some kid's paper.

Andromeda took the paper out of his hand and flipped it over, looking at who had written the paper.

"Too bad for Richard Brooks then, I fully intend on keeping this." Andromeda told him with a smirk glancing over the paper.

"We could always tell Professor Maverick you accidently lit the paper on fire." Xenophilius suggested. "He would believe it."

"He would think I did it on purpose." Andromeda corrected with a smile. "I say Brooks deserves an "O" for all his efforts though."

"Well of course, although if we're being honest I hadn't even read it before drawing on it." Xenophilius agreed with a laugh and glance at the paper. "I hope it isn't awful."

"That would seem fishy. Ah well, we'll just tell him I graded it if he has any questions. I'm clearly incompetent." Andromeda decided placing the paper in her bag.

"Have I ever told you about nargles?" Xenophilius asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"No, but I've heard of them before. I think that bloke Tonks mentioned them to me one day in detention when I couldn't find my shoes." Andromeda answered trying to remember when she had heard the name before.

"Yeah, Ted's pretty fond of nargles. Most likely because he's always losing everything." Xenophilius agreed smiling at the mention of his friend's name. "I didn't realize you two knew each other though."

"Vaguely. We're both prefects, we don't talk much though." Andromeda said dismissively, not wanting to talk about Tonks. "Tell me about nargles."

Xenophilius smiled and went into a spiel describing nargles and what they did, going into depth about why they took from people, in order to build homes for their young, and took a liking to mistletoe during the Christmas season for this reason.

"In fact, mistletoe has exactly the kind of environment nargles love, although they can be rather harsh when there are people near them. They think their nest is being attacked so they will usually attack back. Hence why you should always be careful when near mistletoe, or even when you find yourself in places with a lot of piles of stuff." Xenophilius elaborated, gesticulating wildly. "That's why I won't go into Ted's room. I'm positive it's infested."

"I'm assuming Tonks is very messy?" Andromeda clarified trying to follow Xenophilius' train of thought.

"Very messy doesn't even begin to describe it, Andromeda. I don't think there is one clear spot of floor in his whole dorm." Xenophilius stated seriously.

"All right. So your favourite is a crumple-horned snorkack and Tonks' is nargles." Andromeda said with a laugh, only slightly perturbed by the supposed messiness of the room. "What creature do you think would be my favourite?"

Xenophilius seemed to mull this over for a little while. Andromeda was sure he had a plethora of creatures he had to sort through to find the proper one that best befit her. She decided to give him all the time he needed, aware that he might not even get back to her before detention was over, and went back to grading the papers. It was as she was finishing up her last paper Xenophilius snapped his fingers and smiled.

"I'd bet anything you'd like the sirrah." He said smiling as Andromeda cocked her head.

"The sirrah?" She asked making sure she got it right.

"Yes, the sirrah." Xenophilius confirmed with a nod. "Basically sirrahs are a type of bird. They're easily distinguished because the plume on the top of their heads looks kind of like crowns. They appear pleasant and unassuming due to their small size, but hate being disturbed and are actually poisonous. They are kind of tawny covered, but not much else is known about their appearance because seeing one is pretty rare."

"So basically you're saying they're sly?" Andromeda asked with a smile, rather liking these 'sirrah' creatures. "They lure you in by seeming placid, but actually pack quite a wallop?"

"Basically." Xenophilius confirmed. "Only when antagonized though, much like nargles they can be docile enough unless if they feel they are being threatened."

"In that case, I think you're quite right, I do like them." Andromeda agreed smiling in satisfaction.

'I thought you would, I'll try and find you a picture of them in one of my books. Or try and draw you a sketch from memory. I'm certain you'll only like them more after you see what they look like." Xenophilius promised.

"Thank you." Andromeda said, remembering her good manners at the last moment.

"Are you two done?" Professor Maverick ordered, walking back into the room.

"Yes, professor." Andromeda and Xenophilius chorused.

"There was just one issue professor." Andromeda said, biting her lip and trying to look downcast as Maverick shot her a dirty look. "I was grading Richard Brooks' paper, about to give it an O, and I accidently burned it."

"How did you manage that?" Maverick asked aghast.

"I was trying non-verbal spells, we're learning about them in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and suffice to say I wasn't successful." Andromeda muttered out, hoping by acting guilty she would appear so.

"Well, Richard Brooks won't be happy, but I can't say I'm surprised." Professor Maverick told her with a roll of his eyes. "You two can go."

Walking out of the room Andromeda and Xenophilius smiled at each other, exhilarated that there lie had worked.

"See you later?" Xenophilius asked, twiddling with his shirt.

"Of course!" Andromeda answered, with a broad genuine smile. "I quite like you Xenophilius."

* * *

><p><em>What are you playing at?<em>

The mysterious message found itself on Andromeda's Charms notes, rather befuddling her. She had certainly not remembered writing that, and in any case it was not her handwriting. Glancing around the room in confusion, she noted that Tonks was giving her a glare, not a very menacing one, but one nonetheless.

Andromeda raised her eyebrow in a silent question of if he had sent the note, and inferred that his hardened glare was a 'yes'. The issue was replying, Andromeda wasn't sure how Tonks had sent the note, and therefore had no means of returning the favor, as he was halfway across the room.

Tonks seemed to note this and sighed in exasperation, before turning around and scribbling something furiously onto the piece of paper in front of him, within moments new words appeared on Andromeda's page.

_I thought you were supposed to be clever. Meet me after class; I need to speak with you._

Quite put out Andromeda wished she could tell him a rather rude no, but she was at a disposition, unable to communicate back with him. She did not appreciate the attack on her intelligence either, simply because she didn't know some idiotic note passing spell did not mean that she was dumb, it just meant she preferred paying attention in class over learning ways to socialize.

Andromeda twiddled her hair for the rest of the lesson, unsure of what Tonks would need to speak with her about, especially what he would need to discuss with her that resulted in such a ridiculous glare, that was surely meant to be intimidating, but fell relatively flat on his usually smiling face.

After what seemed like an eternity Charms finally ended and Andromeda made a show of putting her stuff away so that the other girls in her year, who were still following her around from the Persimmon incident a few weeks ago, wouldn't bother waiting for her and she could discuss whatever it was Tonks wanted to talk about in relative silence.

"All set?" Tonks asked, grabbing Andromeda's arm and dragging her out of the room when she nodded in confirmation.

"Ouch." Andromeda said rubbing her arm when he let go. "You know I can walk of my own accord, right?"

"Sorry." Tonks apologized looking remorseful, and Andromeda, for whatever reason, was inclined to believe him.

"It's all right, just a little rude. I've been through worse." Andromeda forgave with her wave of a hand. "What did you need to talk about that was so important?"

"I want you to back off of Xenophilius." Tonks answered, startling Andromeda. "He's very delicate and has issues telling when someone isn't being sincere. I don't appreciate you screwing about with him like this."

"First of all, I do believe it is up to Xenophilius to choose who he is friends with, and it is not your place to tell me to back off, for a number of reasons." Andromeda retorted, placing a hand on her hip in irritation. "Second of all, I am not screwing him around. I'm being sincere, I like Xenophilius. He is refreshing from the same conversations I have every day. We're friends, and if you have a problem with that you're going to have to deal with it."

"Your racist implications aside, why don't I believe that's true?" Tonks asked raising an eyebrow in question. "Why would you want to be friends with Xenophilius? It doesn't really fit in with your group."

"My group? I don't have a group!" Andromeda cried in outrage, glaring harshly at him. "Not that it's any of your business at all, but I'm telling the truth. It's the first interesting conversation I've had with someone for a while now. If there's one thing Slytherins aren't good at its new conversations."

Tonks raised an eyebrow in disbelief at her for a few seconds, unsure of whether or not to trust her. It was important to him that his friend didn't get hurt, Xenophilius had been teased a lot in the past and he didn't appreciate it when people led him on, which was what he was afraid Andromeda was doing.

"For the record, I also don't appreciate you assuming that I would do that. I don't befriend people for laughs. That's just sick." Andromeda snapped in the silence, her hands balling into fists onto her hips. "I can stand being called a lot of things but I don't do that. That's the kind of bull Persimmon would pull."

"Sorry. I just thought it was odd your being friends with Xenophilius. He is a half-blood and I'm sure you purebloods aren't too fond of the Quibbler. His dad writes it you know." Tonks explained, holding up his hands in defense.

"No, we aren't, but that has no relevance to him as a person. Just because he reads The Quibbler doesn't mean he is inherently bad. There's more to a person besides what their parents do, you know." Andromeda said matter-of-factly crossing her arms over her chest. "Are we done here?"

"Yes. I think we are. Just make sure you're nothing but nice to Xenophilius and we won't have a problem." Tonks answered looking at Andromeda speculatively.

"That's that famous Hufflepuff loyalty, I suppose?" Andromeda asked almost rhetorically as she walked away, feeling vaguely uncomfortable from the look Tonks was giving her.

There was something undoubtedly off about that boy.

* * *

><p>It was the fourth patrol Andromeda had to do all by herself and she had adjusted into a routine. In fact, she was going to be a little upset when she had to start patrolling with another person again. She had come to appreciate the silence and time alone, especially since she had somehow become a social fixture of sorts, ever since the incident with Persimmon.<p>

Every Wednesday she would do the same thing, starting at the first floor and working her way progressively up, checking each broom closet along the way, and checking behind the occasional tapestry. Sometimes she would find a couple in the midst of a snogging fit, but very rarely, and that was the extent of what she ever met.

Andromeda was taking part in her normal routine, and found herself on the third floor. She had yet to find any students huddled up in broom closets and she had been beginning to assume that it was going to be another dreary night of patrols, as was the usual. She was however, extremely wrong.

She had been mid-thought, reflecting on her conversation with Tonks the day prior and trying to figure out why since then he had shot her queer looks whenever he saw her, as if he was assessing her character or deciphering her physical prowess. Perhaps there was an underground muggle-born gambling ring where they bet on which pure-blood could beat up who. If so, Andromeda would rather like to get in on that.

It was these strange thoughts that occupied her mind when she heard a sudden clatter. Ears perking up at the noise, Andromeda assumed that some student had most likely knocked over a broom or some other cleaning supply during a rather heated snogging section. Keeping alert to pinpoint where the sound came from Andromeda heard a yelp that definitely came from one of the classrooms on the left.

Andromeda immediately set off as fast as she could, unsure of what she would find within the classroom, but getting prepared to intervene in whatever it was. She reached the door rather quickly and threw it open, the scene inside horrified her.

On the floor there were a couple of students crying in heaps and a girl bleeding profusely who couldn't be older than Narcissa. Crowding around the students was a group of fifth and sixth year boys who Andromeda recognized as Slytherins. They all had their wands out and were laughing as they cast various spells on the students, who Andromeda assumed were muggle-borns. She would bet anything that these boys were trying to prove they were worthy of the Knights of Walpurgis.

"Oi! What is going on here?" Andromeda demanded, whipping out her wand in case she would need it, which she was willing to bet she would.

"Oh, Andromeda, glad you could join us! You want a Mudblood?" Evan Rosier asked smirking at her and gesturing to one of the students on the floor.

"I'm sorry boys, but attacking another student is strictly against the rules. I'm going to have to give you all detention and ask you to cease immediately." Andromeda said in an authoritative voice, hoping they would listen to her.

Her hopes were unanswered as the boys all laughed in amusement and then returned to torturing the students on the floor. Andromeda watched in horror as she saw one of the muggle-borns, a brunette boy from Ravenclaw, try and pick himself up and shoot a spell at the group of boys while they were distracted. He was horribly unsuccessful.

Just as the boys hand grasped the wand Georges Greengrass shot a curse at him, causing his hand to split open almost in half and ooze blood.

"Ah, ah Mudblood, no magic. Do we need to break your wand to make sure you'll behave?" Georges asked cruelly placing his foot on the boy's wand so that he couldn't grab it.

"Go ahead. I could still take you down without magic you racist prick." The boy muttered, trying to pull himself up again, before getting shot with a quick 'petrificus totalus'.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that Mudblood. I don't take kindly to insults." Georges hissed, kicking the boy in the ribs before lifting his wand menacingly.

"Expelliarmus!" Andromeda yelled, ripping Georges' wand out of his hand before he could further harm the boy.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Georges demanded turning around and glaring at Andromeda. "This Mudblood needs to be punished for his insolence."

"This has nothing to do with muggle-borns and their insolence. Fighting with other students and being out after curfew is strictly against the rules. Regardless of whom it is you are punishing, I am honor bound to intervene." Andromeda said as calmly as possible, although on the inside she was having an anxiety attack.

"Muggle-born? Getting all cozy with the Mudbloods? Maybe you're intervening because you don't want us to pick on your boyfriend." Lucius Malfoy accused lifting his wand against one of the muggle-borns on the floor.

"Don't be ridiculous. I hate Mudbloods just as much as the rest of you. However there is a time and place for this and the Knights are not going to be impressed with you for picking on third years." Andromeda defended hoping that they were after membership to the Knights and weren't off torturing muggle-borns just for the fun of it.

"You clearly don't understand the workings of the Knights of Walpurgis if you believe that. The earlier we deal with them, the better." Lucius replied snottily. "Momordi!"

"That's it." Andromeda said turning to the group of boys and swallowing her fear, there were only five of them and one of her, perfectly fair odds. "Immobulis!"

Travis Goyle went rigid and fell to the floor as Andromeda non-verbally cast the spell on the boy standing next to him, who had ignored her entirely and was still casting hexes on one of the writhing muggle-borns on the floor. He fell as well, and as Andromeda turned to Lucius Malfoy to take him out Evan Rosier raised his wand and turned towards her.

"Flipendo!" He yelled sending Andromeda crashing against the wall behind her with a terrible force.

Andromeda saw black for a few seconds before blinking herself back into reality. She had somehow held onto her wand throughout the ordeal and she raised it and cast a quick 'Immobulis' in Lucius Malfoy's direction. With three down all that remained were Georges, who was still unarmed and had taken to beating on the muggle-borns physically, and Evan Rosier who did not seem willing to go down without a fight.

"Stupefy!" Andromeda yelled pointing at Georges in order to give the muggle-borns a break.

She stood up, using the wall for support and pointed her wand towards Evan Rosier whose attention was focused entirely on her.

"We both know who the superior dueler is here, Black." He hissed pointing his wand threateningly and taking a step forward.

"Yes, Rosier, we do. It's quite obviously me. You barely even passed your Charms O.W.L." Andromeda retorted with a roll of her eyes.

"Charms and hexes are two completely different things, Black." Rosier told her with a dark smile.

Hexes or not, all Andromeda had to do was shoot a quick stupefy while Rosier was out completely for blood, and regardless Andromeda was rather adept with hexes when she wanted to be.

"Lacero." Rosier said determinedly hitting Andromeda in the side.

Stumbling slightly at the sudden pain in her side, and the welling blood ruining her school shirt Andromeda focused through the haze of pain, both from her side and her recent collision with the wall. All she had to do was hit Rosier, which was arguably not that hard. Except, of course, when there were two of them, which was the dilemma she was facing at this moment. Taking a wild guess Andromeda pointed her wand at the right Rosier.

"Stupefy!" She shouted, and to her dismay missed entirely.

The red light shot from her wand and exploded against the wall as Rosier, the one on the left, laughed.

"Can't even shoot straight, Black?" He taunted smirking triumphantly.

"It would be a lot easier to hit you, if there weren't two of you at the moment." Andromeda muttered through a grimace, as Rosier hit her with another Lacero, this time cutting into her arm, her wand arm.

Almost as if on reflect, Andromeda dropped her wand, causing Rosier to erupt into another fit of giggles. Andromeda took this opportunity to kneel down, a feat that was not easy as her world swirled, and pick up her wand with her left hand. Her spells wouldn't be quite as strong, but they should get the job done.

Focusing on the Rosiers that spread across her vision, Andromeda decided to try for the one on the left this time, hoping that he hadn't moved too much since her previous attack.

"Stupefy." She said, teeth greeted in resolve.

For a heartbreaking moment Andromeda watched her spell fly through the air towards Rosier, breath held as she waited for it to hit or miss. This time her luck held out and her spell connected with Rosier who, still in the middle of laughing, went unconscious almost immediately.

Andromeda heaved a sigh of relief and stumbled forward to where the muggle-borns were lying in varying heaps on the floor. She landed next to the little girl who was around Narcissa's age first and sighed apologetically.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not in the state to heal your wounds at the moment. The best I can do is bandage them." She told her weakly, waving her wand and conjuring bandages. "Vulnera Sanentur."

Effectively cleaning out the wounds as much as she was willing to risk in her current state, Andromeda set to bandaging the girl up. When this was done she stumbled over to another boy who was heaving in pain, the fact that he had not blacked out was a testament to his will power alone.

"What'd they do to you?" Andromeda asked blinking back the fog that was overtaking her mind; she was quite certain she had a concussion and probably shouldn't be tending to the wounded.

"Broke my leg." He wheezed out, blinking back tears.

"I can splint it." Andromeda muttered focusing very hard on the complicated spell that she had only ever practiced in theory; she hoped that she did not further screw up the poor boy. "Ferula."

Andromeda tended to the rest of the muggle-borns, there were only two more, and leaned against the wall when she was done and tried very hard not to pass out, she was aware she was bleeding rather excessively from her side and arm, but she couldn't be bothered to care for herself, her mind was too muddled. Through the haze she noted that the boy who had stood up to the gang of Slytherins before was missing.

"Where's that Ravenclaw kid?" She heard herself ask aloud, at least she assumed it was her, it sounded vaguely like her, but she somehow felt detached from the situation.

"He went to get help." One of the girls, one who had been less abused than the others and still capable of speech, answered. "He crawled out of here after you stupefied the big brunette that was beating the crap out of him."

"He's tough isn't he?" Andromeda asked to no one in particular, internally admiring the boy's perseverance. "What was his name?"

"Richard Brooks." The girl answered casting a worried look at Andromeda.

She couldn't help it, she wasn't sure later if it was the stress of the situation or just the complete ludicrousness that the boy who she had just saved was the boy whose paper she stole, but Andromeda broke out into a fit of hysterical laughter for a few minutes, before the world went black.


	4. Chapter Four

Andromeda awoke in a rather unfamiliar place. The lighting was much brighter than what she was accustomed to in her dormitory, artificially bright, and the room she was in smelled entirely too sterile. On top of that, she had a dull pain in the back of her head, the remnants of a headache and her side felt a little stiff.

As she pulled herself up, a move that was hard as her arm appeared to be getting over some injury, it all flooded back, the fight with Rosier and the whole ordeal. She didn't get much time to think back on it however, as just as she sat up a rather screech-like sound invaded her silence.

"Andromeda! You're awake!" Narcissa cheered from Andromeda's bedside, startling the poor girl.

"It would appear so." Andromeda agreed rubbing her head and trying to blink away the disorientation as she adjusted to a new position. "How long have I been out?"

"Oh um only a day or so, really." Narcissa said rather vaguely to Andromeda's chagrin.

Before, however, she could ask for a more specific time, a loud crash was heard followed by a pounding of footsteps and soon Bellatrix could be seen coming into view, looking absolutely livid.

"You were supposed to tell me when she woke up." Bellatrix barked at Narcissa, who was taking this whole conversation rather calmly.

"She only just did Bella; I was on my way to tell you just after I finished saying hello." Narcissa explained looking up at the older girl.

"Well. The point is moot now." Bellatrix snapped, turning her gaze onto Andromeda. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Andromeda asked in confusion, still trying to get used to being in the Hospital Wing.

"Do you know how bad it looks when you stand up for a bunch of Mudbloods? Do you know all the smoothing over I've had to do just to secure you a spot in the Knights? What the hell were you thinking Andromeda?" Bellatrix raged throwing her hands up.

"I was thinking I should do my job. I wasn't standing up for mug-Mudbloods; I was taking care of some rule breakers." Andromeda answered a tad frightened of her sister's sudden anger.

"That's not what it looked like. That's not what Evan Rosier said. Your whole membership is hanging on a thread because of the stunt you pulled." She snapped glaring at Andromeda. "Your actions don't only affect you, they affect our whole family."

"Well I'm sorry bu-." Andromeda tried to explain before Bellatrix cut her off once again.

"And another thing, don't think I haven't been catching your slip ups. Calling them muggle-borns instead of mudbloods makes it seem as though you are sympathetic to them. And there's no way I can explain away that little anomaly." Bellatrix bit, clearly deciding this was the time to let out all of her rage onto Andromeda.

"Excuse me Ms. Black." A voice broke in, making all three of the sisters turn their attention to Madame Renfield. "The eldest Ms. Black, that is. I'm going to have to ask you to leave as my patient is still in a rather delicate position and you yelling at her will certainly not help."

Bellatrix glared at Madame Renfield for a few moments, trying to intimidate her into letting her stay, but when it came to her patient's health Madame Renfield was anything but a pushover. Reluctantly Bellatrix heaved an angry sigh and shot one last glare at the room in general.

"I'm not done." She told Andromeda as her parting words before storming out of the room.

"How long exactly have I been out?" Andromeda asked aloud trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Andromeda dearie, it's Friday." Madame Renfield explained tentatively. "You've been out about two days. You had a concussion and a rather serious injury in your side. I gave you a sleeping potion after I dealt with the concussion to allow you to heal properly. Whenever you're feeling up to it, I'll have to ask you what exactly happened. For the report, you know."

"Oh, well I'm feeling up to it now." Andromeda replied sitting up a bit more and blinking away the slight dizziness that overcame her. "How much longer do I have to stay here?"

"Oh, well I'd like to keep you for a few more hours, run a few last tests, make sure everything is all right. I can probably let you out by dinner if you're completely well again." Madame Renfield answered smiling. "Let me go get the forms out of my office and then I'll be back."

Andromeda nodded and watched the woman waddle off towards her office, reveling in the silence for a few seconds before her sister's blonde head entered her view, looking at her expectantly.

"Well?" She prodded, eyes wide, seeming to stare into Andromeda's soul.

"Well what?" Andromeda asked confused and a little unnerved by the look her sister was giving her.

"Well what! You're in the Hospital Wing and all you can say is 'well what?' What happened!?" Narcissa prodded staring at her sister in disbelief.

"You can't wait the ten seconds for me to fill Madame Renfield in for the final report?" Andromeda asked raising an eyebrow at her sister's impatience.

Narcissa pouted for a few seconds, but seeing she wasn't going to get a premature answer from her sister sat back down in her seat and sulked until Madame Renfield made a reappearance, this time with a clipboard. Madame Renfield stopped at the foot of the bed, smiling and poised a quill over the clipboard, presumably holding the reports.

"All right." She said smiling. "Tell me what happened."

* * *

><p>It was a bit after lunch time and Andromeda's lunch sat on her bed, nearly forgotten as she chatted with her visitor. She had been eating with fervor before, having found herself starving but upon her friend's arrival with her homework she had practically forgotten her hunger.<p>

"Thanks for bringing me my homework. I've been positively bored all morning. There's nothing to do in here but count the tiling on the floor." Andromeda remarked smiling appreciatively at her friend.

"And how many was that?" Xenophilius asked raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not entirely sure; I would get to about one hundred and then lose count." Andromeda admitted with a shrug. "You're here now though! So you can entertain me!"

"That's a lot of pressure on one wizard." Xenophilius joked smiling at Andromeda. "I'm a little afraid if I don't entertain you successfully then you'll hex me…"

"Oh no, I'm sure you will be sufficient. I'm not saying I won't hex you if I get bored though." Andromeda quipped smirking at Xenophilius.

"All right, all right. Let's see what can you do in a Hospital Wing?" Xenophilius asked aloud, more to himself than to her.

Andromeda waited as Xenophilius' eyes glanced all around the room, clearly seeking out some form of entertainment in the Hospital Wing which was, admittedly, hard to come by. Finally his eyes glanced at the window and I smile broke out upon his face.

"Well." He said a hint of amusement in his voice. "We could always look at the clouds."

For a second Andromeda thought he was joking, she had never been one for cloud gazing, but she quickly understood that he was serious and she figured that since she didn't have many other choices besides stare at some clouds or die of boredom then she could stare at some clouds.

"All right then." She agreed, getting up and heading towards the window as Xenophilius followed behind her.

Opening the window, she peered up at the sky, moving over a bit so Xenophilius could get a good look at the clouds as well.

"That one looks like a rabbit." Andromeda observed, unsure of herself.

"Boring." Xenophilius stated, pointing to another grouping of clouds nearby the 'rabbit'. "That one looks like a mooncalf."

"Oh? A mooncalf really?" Andromeda asked in disbelief glancing at the cloud and noting with a bit of annoyance that it did in fact look like a mooncalf "I'll give you that one…"

Annoyed that her finding had been deemed boring Andromeda searched for a much more interesting cloud, pointing out some clouds offhandly in her search. The problem was, she surmised, that it was nearly impossible to find a good cloud from the awkward angle from the window.

Twirling a piece of hair she decided the only way that she could get a better view of the clouds and therefore trump Xenophilius' offer was to get a better angle. Pushing the window open further Andromeda pulled herself up on the windowsill and leaned precariously out, grasping the frame as she hung out of the window.

"Oh! This one looks like a giant destroying a village!" Andromeda yelled in excitement to an amused Xenophilius, who poked his head out of the window himself.

"You have an interesting imagination there Andromeda." He joked, trying to see the cloud that she was talking about. "Which one is it?"

"What is going on here?" Madame Renfield shrilled behind them. "Are you trying to escape via the windows?"

"No!" Andromeda answered, partially startled by the sudden reappearance of Madame Renfield. "We were simply gazing at clouds."

"I'm to believe, that the daughter of the 'esteemed House of Black' is half-hanging out a window gazing at clouds?" Madame Renfield declared almost mockingly as Andromeda realized it did sound rather foolish.

"Well…" She stuttered looking for something to secure her innocence, she certainly hadn't been trying to escape and she didn't much like it being implied such. "I am."

"I'm sure." Madame Renfield bit, walking forward and nudging Xenophilius out of the way. "Come along, I shall not have my patients dangling out of windows."

Madame Renfield grasped Andromeda and tugged her safely inside, nudging her out of the way when she was once again touching the floor. Madame Renfield grasped the window and pulled it closed shaking her head and clucking her tongue at Andromeda and Xenophilius all the while. Once the window was safely secured again she turned to the two and sent them a fierce glower.

"You, boy. Visiting hours are over." She stated with a dismissing wave of her hand, believing Xenophilius to be a cohort in Andromeda's escape. "Ms. Black. Back to your bed, you are getting released tonight there's no reason for this tomfoolery."

"I wasn't trying to escape though!" Andromeda declared one last time as Madame Renfield led her to her bed.

Once Andromeda was properly situated, tucked back into her bed with the work Xenophilius had brought so she could catch up on her studies Madame Renfield walked back to her office shaking her head and clucking her tongue.

"Trying to escape out the window, why I've never heard of such a ludicrous and idiotic thing!"

* * *

><p>"Now then deary, drink this for the next week, it should keep out any bacteria in the cuts." Madame Renfield said handing Andromeda a bottle. "About a tablespoon twice a day until it's gone."<p>

"Thank you." Andromeda replied smiling, dressed in her own clothing and very glad to be getting out of the Hospital Wing.

"Ah, it's only my job, dear." Madame Renfield stated with a wave of her hand. "Now see, you're getting out it was silly to try and escape, wasn't it? I'm not all bad."

"I wasn't…" Andromeda began to defend herself before deciding it just wasn't worth it.

Madame Renfield patted her hand, more to soothe than to proclaim her innocence and turned to walk away before pausing, as if something had struck her.

"Oh one last thing before you go." She said to a disgruntled Andromeda who really wanted to leave. "When the students who were under attack came in, it seemed they'd already been tended to. Do you know who had tried to heal them?"

"Oh." Andromeda said her face turning a slight shade of pink in embarrassment. "That was me."

"While you yourself were concussed?" Madame Renfield asked a little taken aback and perhaps with a hint of disbelief.

"Well, I didn't know that at the time I was just thinking that someone needed to make sure the student were okay in case it took a while to be found." Andromeda explained. "Besides, I didn't full on heal their bones; I didn't want to risk it. I just did some temporary fixes, bandaged them up and all that to hold them over."

Madame Renfield paused and glanced Andromeda over for a few seconds, as if looking at her for the first time, assessing her.

"Where did you learn those spells?" She asked finally after Andromeda had felt like she'd been thoroughly dissected. "I mean, those aren't common spells you learn in school, really."

"I kind of had a thing for healing a few years back. Fancied myself a Healer even, studied and learned nearly ever spell and potion I could." Andromeda explained turning her slight shade of pink again and glancing at her feet. "I stopped once I realized that being a Healer… wasn't going to happen."

"Oh." Madame Renfield stated glancing Andromeda over one last time as Andromeda just wished she could leave and never see this woman again. "Well, that's all, you're free to go. Try to take it easy please."

Andromeda nodded her thanks and rushed out of the Hospital Wing as fast as being a Black who never rushed anywhere allowed. It wasn't often she discussed her life plan before she had been told she wouldn't have a life, at least not one she was particularly fond of, and she certainly didn't like discussing it with Madame Renfield, a woman who whole-heartedly believed that she had been trying to escape out the Hospital Wing window.

However, back at the Hospital Wing Madame Renfield was tidying up Andromeda's borrowed bed, mulling over the events that had transpired. With a flick of her wand to make the bed and a shrug she headed back to her office.

"Well, what a waste."

* * *

><p>Andromeda was extraordinarily happy to find herself back in her beautiful dorm room, staring out the encompassing window to the underwater life. She watched as a school of fish swam by, a rather tame thing to see given that the window showed the contents of the Black Lake. Soon she'd have to busy herself getting ready for the day.<p>

Wishing to avoid all the gossip that surely had once again found her as the topic, Andromeda had hurried back to her dorm room and finished up her school work from the day or two she had been out. When she'd finished, it took a while since they were NEWT level classes and therefore NEWT level work, she'd found herself rather sleepy and had decided to turn in early.

Waking up she had taken a moment to appreciate the familiar surrounding that didn't feel even a smidge sterile and overtly crisp. Then she set about preparing for the day. It was Saturday, but not just any Saturday, it was, as she'd been informed by her roommates this morning, the second Quidditch Match of the year.

Andromeda twiddled her hair, recalling the first Quidditch Match of the year which hadn't ended well at all. At least, not well for Slytherin. Gryffindor had devastated the rather lackluster Slytherin team, which wasn't much of a surprise when one considered the fact that the team comprised of such gems like Rockwood and Malfoy, but perhaps Andromeda was biased.

Whatever the reason, Andromeda had decided to forget the horrible loss to the best of her ability and move on with her life, which had been rather easy considering that the Slytherin loss had been between Persimmon's idiocy and Evan Rosier's attack. In fact, had it not been the Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw match today the Quidditch match probably wouldn't have crossed her mind.

On top of the previous match Andromeda didn't care who beat whom in the match today. It was Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw and as she was neither a Hufflepuff nor a Ravenclaw she didn't have any extreme house loyalty one way or the other. She supposed she would root for Ravenclaw, if only because she had nearly been a Ravenclaw herself and because Hufflepuffs were complete duffers.

If she was being completely honest, the only reason why she was even bothering to go to the match at all was because she liked to watch Quidditch, the game interested her, and more so she enjoyed seeing the Quidditch players in their uniforms. The uniform was one of the reasons why she had always been so fond of Kevin Broadmoor, that and he did his job not like the members of the Slytherin Quidditch team.

Andromeda sighed and turned away from the window where fish had ceased to swim by. She ought to get dressed and head down to breakfast and the impending gossip. She'd have to face it sometime. With one last longing glance at the window Andromeda got up and headed towards her trunk.

* * *

><p>Andromeda was in the middle of breakfast, toast with jam and a side of oatmeal, when Bellatrix came storming in. Andromeda had decided to seat herself as far away from the other Slytherins as possible, which hadn't been too hard as she had been met with mixed reactions. Half the table were worried about her safety, making sure she was all right, while the other half was sending her unsure looks, hidden behind veiled compassion, but she could tell they were questioning her allegiance.<p>

The Slytherins, however, were too afraid of the Black name to make their doubts known, Bellatrix, on the other hand, a Black herself had no qualms of walking up to Andromeda as she blissfully enjoyed her oatmeal and toast and glare down at her.

"I need to talk to you." She hissed in an undertone, trying to keep the image of a cool detached Black. "We didn't finish our conversation before."

Confused about what conversation, Andromeda turned to address her questions only to have her wrist grabbed harshly by Bellatrix. Andromeda found herself hoisted out of her seat and dragged from the Great Hall to a little alcove nearby where there wouldn't be as much of a disturbance.

Finally once they were obscured from the rest of the school's view Bellatrix let go of her wrist, Andromeda was sure it would bruise, and didn't allow Andromeda to have a moment of relief as she stepped dangerously close.

"What do you think you were doing?" Bellatrix demanded pinning Andromeda into the corner.

"Well, I was eating breakfast; Madame Renfield said I should eat-." Andromeda stated perhaps a little sassily, but she didn't appreciate being manhandled.

"You know what I mean." Bellatrix bit glaring her down in an attempt to intimidate. "You jeopardized our whole family with your little stunt. Not to mention that you're on thin ice now and may not be able to get into the Knights."

"How did I-?" Andromeda began to ask before Bellatrix cut her off angrily.

"No. I'm talking you're listening." Bellatrix warned angrily. "I'm going to try to smooth things over for you this Wednesday at the meeting but no more of your 'Pro-Mudblood' stunts. In fact, no more even saying muggle-born. I'm beginning to question your allegiance myself Andy so you better start acting like a good little pureblood. Got it?"

Andromeda nodded meekly, eyes wide as Bellatrix loomed ominously over her, her hand grasping her wand lightly as if she were about to draw it on Andromeda to teach her a proper lesson.

"Everything all right?" A voice interjected just as Bellatrix opened her mouth to state another thinly veiled threat.

"Don't worry about it Mudblood." Bellatrix spat glaring at whoever had thought to interrupt the lecture. "Just having a little chat."

"Well, I don't know about you 'high society' folks but when I'm having a little chat with someone, especially my sister, it doesn't look quite so… lethal." The person joked, and Andromeda realized rather belatedly that said voice belonged to Ted Tonks.

For a second Andromeda watched Bellatrix send her heated glare to Tonks, trying to intimidate him to back off, but rather stupidly Tonks stood there smiling broadly at them like it was a big joke.

"Whatever. We're done here." Bellatrix stated pushing herself away from Andromeda, shooting one final warning glare in her direction. "Andromeda."

Andromeda breathed the fresh air for a bit before walking out of the alcove, however it seemed Tonks felt some weird need to hang around and be sure she was all right. She noticed absentmindedly that he was wearing a Quidditch uniform which left her rather confused.

"Are you all right?" He asked stepping forward to meet her as she exited the alcove.

"I'm fine." Andromeda stated roughly, and then because she felt slightly bad being so rude to someone who was just looking out for her she said a little softer, "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it, just doing my duty as a prefect." Tonks stated making it clear to Andromeda that it was just his duty. "If you're all right I have to go…"

"Quidditch?" She asked almost out of the blue making Tonks blink in surprise.

"What?" He replied trying to jump onto this new train of thought.

"Quidditch." She said gesturing to his uniform. "You play Quidditch."

"Yes. In fact I have to go play Quidditch right now…" He answered shooting her a concerned look. "Are you sure you're all right? Not in shock or anything?"

"What? No. No. I'm fine." She assured. "I was just. I didn't know you played Quidditch."

Tonks blinked in confusion staring at Andromeda who was glancing at his Quidditch uniform as if it were some big piece to a puzzle.

"Andromeda?" Narcissa interrupted looking up at her older sister. "What are you doing?"

"I'm… Going to the Quidditch match, you?" Andromeda answered, snapping out of her thoughts.

Freed from her stare Tonks took this moment as his leave as he really did have to get going and bid a quiet good bye, speeding off to leave the sisters to speak.

"We're going too; I meant what were you doing with that guy?" Narcissa asked nudging her suggestively.

"What? What guy?" Andromeda asked turning to look. "I see no guy."

"What? The guy you were just… okay. Let's go watch Quidditch then." Narcissa attempted to explain before shaking her head and walking towards the doors, followed by her posse.

Andromeda followed mutely still bothered, maybe he played Quidditch but that didn't necessarily mean he was good at it.

* * *

><p>Hufflepuff was up seventy to thirty and Andromeda was in distress. At first she had half-heartedly wanted Ravenclaw to win but now she needed them to win. For no other reason than the fact that she was rooting for them and she didn't root for losers, particularly not losers who could not even get a quaffle through a hoop.<p>

Next to her Narcissa and her group of fourth year friends were chatting blissfully admiring how good some of the players were. They weren't rooting for any particular team, they only cared about Slytherin and then only due to house pride, they weren't too into Quidditch and in fact really only went to the matches as a social event.

"Oh he's rather good… number fifteen." Solace Parkinson observed gesturing as a player flew by with Quaffle in hand.

"Oh yes he's gotten a fair few in hasn't he?" Narcissa agreed smiling before doubting slightly and turning to Andromeda. "Hasn't he?"

"Hasn't who?" Andromeda asked half paying attention as she hoped for the Ravenclaws beater to smash into whichever Hufflepuff chaser was scoring.

"Number fifteen. The boy with the Quaffle." Narcissa explained. "He's good isn't he?"

"The bloke who's been scoring all the points and beating Ravenclaw?" Andromeda clarified to Narcissa's nodding friends. "Yeah he's pretty go…"

Andromeda blinked as she realized just who number fifteen was. If he was going to play Quidditch then he wasn't allowed to be good. Certainly not better than the Slytherin purebloods that had played last match and failed miserably. That didn't make sense. How could a muggleborn be better than purebloods when that was inherently against everything she'd learned.

Even if she ignored all that, she respected Quidditch players. That is to say, she appreciated those who were good at it because while she loved Quidditch to death she herself was completely awful on a broom. The main problem lay hence, she wasn't supposed to respect him because he was a muggleborn, but he was rather good at Quidditch so how could she not respect him? It almost made him human and that scared her.

It was best not to think like that though, that's what had stopped her in her tracks when she'd seen her Quidditch uniform and if she could just keep ignoring it…

"No. Number fifteen is awful." Andromeda said resolutely, more to herself than to the group of fourth years who stared at her confused.

If she said it enough she could forget the truth and believe it.

* * *

><p>With Monday came classes and inevitably an emergency prefects meeting which had been called in order to settle the matters of the recent attack. Andromeda wasn't looking forward to it. She didn't much like rehashing the events again or dealing with the other people who probably had their own opinions of her in light of recent events.<p>

However, as a prefect she didn't have much choice and so Monday evening she found herself sitting in the prefects meeting squished between Penelope Penrose and Margareta Davies. Both girls in her opinion were wearing far too much perfume, and Andromeda tried to focus through the choking haze of perfume that surrounded her.

"Now then." Molly Prewett began, clearing her throat to start the meeting. "I'd like to start first by apologizing for any inconvenience this meeting may have caused, but Arthur and I decided it was necessary due to recent events. I'm sure you all know what happened, so there's no need to go through it again, but due to these events we've decided to revamp some patrolling rules."

"We've decided that we will no longer have one student patrolling on their own. That is to say if you can't make it to your patrol, please tell us and we will find a replacement to fill in. Also, if you find that your partner hasn't shown up to patrols please locate either Molly or I or find a teacher and we will patrol with you or find someone who will." Arthur explained smiling at each person as he spoke. "We don't want anyone patrolling on their own anymore. Any questions?"

As Arthur spoke Travers shot Andromeda a look as if to ask her what they would do now, and Andromeda ignored him. She wasn't entirely surprised, and luckily she only had one more patrol with Travers. She couldn't care less if he couldn't make it to the Knights meeting or not because of the newly instated rules.

If she was being honest, she was supportive of this new rule, although if Travers had been there that night she didn't think it would have helped much, he probably would have helped Rosier and even tried to stop her from helping the muggle-borns. In a normal situation, however, she could see where it was better to have two people rather than one patrolling.

"If there are no questions," Molly Prewett said with a smile, "I'd like to remind you all that patrol partners will be switching next week as well as patrol days, so please be sure to check your rotary."

Molly and Arthur shared a look, checking the other had nothing else to say and then dismissed the prefects. Andromeda got up and headed out of the room in order to get some fresh air, noting with a bit of despair as she entered the fresh air of the corridor that the smell of the two girls' perfume clung to her clothes.

"Andromeda." A voice called making Andromeda stop in her retreat and turn around. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Unfortunately for Andromeda, it was Travers.

"Sure." She answered, a tad disgruntled as she followed him into an emptier part of the corridor.

"That's a, er, nice smell you're wearing there?" Travers said once they had stopped.

"Thanks I call it Eau de Margareta and Penelope." Andromeda bit, glaring at him. "What do you need?"

"I was just wondering if you had any idea about what we could do Wednesday? Since I have the Knights meeting but we have to say if we can't patrol now…" Travers answered awkwardly making Andromeda want to roll her eyes.

"Why don't you just skive class that whole day and fake sick?" She suggested shortly, annoyed that she had to solve this boy's dilemma for them. "Don't show up for patrols and I'll tell Prewett that I hadn't seen you in class all day and think you might be ill."

Travers seemed to mull this over for a bit, weighing the pros and cons, before smiling and nodding.

"Brilliant! Thanks so much Andromeda, I owe you!" Travers declared before walking off, presumably in the direction of Gryffindor tower.

Andromeda rolled her eyes and headed towards the Slytherin common room, wishing not for the first time that she hadn't been patrolling the night of the muggle-born attacks.

* * *

><p>On Wednesday Andromeda waited exactly five minutes at the spot she was supposed to meet Travers, to make it seem believable, before she went to find Molly Prewett. It wasn't that hard, as she had assumed she was in the library due to the overload of work that seventh year NEWT classes tended to bring.<p>

"Excuse me?" Andromeda asked when she located the table Molly Prewett was at.

Molly looked up and confusion passed over her face, before she put down her quill.

"Andromeda? Shouldn't you be patrolling?" She asked glancing around at her friends that were sitting with her.

"Yes, that's why I'm here. Travers didn't show up for patrol." Andromeda answered, feeling a little bad to be interrupting the girl's important studying. "I noticed he wasn't in our classes today... I think he might be ill…"

"Why am I not surprised?" Molly asked herself with a sigh as if she had been expecting Travers not to show up. "All right, I'll patrol with you. Will you guys bring my books up when you go back to the common room?"

Molly's friends agreed and she got up and headed towards the library exit with Andromeda, a little annoyed at being disrupted.

"So…" Molly began awkwardly as they started off on the rounds not sure what to say to the other girl. "You all right?"

"Yes?" Andromeda answered in confusion, unsure why she would not be 'all right'. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh, I just meant… after Wednesday." Molly explained biting her lip. "I heard you got hit with a few curses…"

"I did, I'm fine now though." Andromeda assured, and then remembering her pleasantries. "Thank you for asking."

"Yeah well.. Look can I ask you something? Or a few things?" Molly blurted out, surprising Andromeda.

"I suppose, yes." Andromeda agreed curiously.

"Why'd you do it?" Molly questioned to Andromeda's further confusion. "I mean, why did you step in and help those muggle-borns? That wasn't really a Black thing to do…"

"It was my duty as a prefect." Andromeda clarified easily, it had, after all, been the story she had been telling everyone.

"No, but there's more than that. If, say, Rockwood had been the one to walk into the room I doubt he would have done anything." Molly continued.

"Well I'd say that's a little biased." Andromeda bit in defense of Rockwood. "Just because he's a Slytherin he has to aid in the torture of muggle-borns?"

"Are you going to try and stand here and tell me that Rockwood doesn't hate muggle-borns? Because I think we all know he does and would have gladly let that little escapade continue." Molly shot back with a roll of her eyes.

"…All right, I'll give you that." Andromeda conceded with a laugh.

"Right. So, knowing that. Why did you step in? It was clearly past prefect's duty because Rockwood's a prefect." Molly pointed out.

"I, I don't know honestly. It just didn't seem right, to team up on a bunch of little kids like that. I'm against bullying no matter who it is being bullied." Andromeda stated, confused herself as to why exactly she had helped those muggle-borns.

Molly sent her an analyzing look that struck Andromeda as quite familiar, and as she thought about it, it was rather similar to the look that Tonks sent her every now and then. Despite herself, she snapped.

"All right, why does everyone keep looking at me like that?!" She demanded abruptly, stopping to turn and glare hotly at Molly.

"Like what?" Molly asked confused by the sudden turn of events.

"Like, like I don't know! However, it's freaking me the hell out!" Andromeda declared flustered for words.

"Sorry?" Molly apologized furrowing her eyebrows. "I didn't even realize I was looking at you odd, honest."

"It's fine. It's just creepy. It feels like I'm being dissected or something." Andromeda explained, crossing her arms as if she had a sudden chill.

"Can I ask my other question then?" Molly pressed after a small silence. "I promise I won't look at you weird."

"Yes, all right." Andromeda agreed once again.

"Where is Travers really tonight?" Molly asked, to Andromeda's surprise. "I'd believe he was sick… had he not pulled the same excuse when questioned about his absence last week."

Andromeda mentally slapped her face with her hand. Had she known Travers had faked an illness she wouldn't have told him to use that excuse and she was a little surprised the boy was stupid enough to believe it would cover his stupid arse a second time around.

"Maybe it's a repeating bug?" Andromeda suggested without enough time to make up a better excuse. "I honestly have no idea where he is. Perhaps he's just skiving."

"It's a little weird to choose to skive after we just announced we didn't want anyone patrolling alone though. Especially considering his partner just was attacked." Molly pointed out, rubbing her chin as she mulled it over.

"I don't pretend to know what goes on in that boy's brain." Andromeda said with a shrug, hoping Molly would change the subject.

"I know you wouldn't have any clue about this at all." Molly began, quite sarcastically. "But you wouldn't happen to think maybe the Knights of Walpurgis meetings are on Wednesdays?"

"You're right, I have no idea." Andromeda agreed shortly, twirling her hair nervously. "Like I said before, I'm not involved with the Knights."

"Right. Well I've noticed on Wednesday nights when Arthur and I have been patrolling we've caught a few Slytherins roaming the halls…" Molly declared offhandly. "You don't think Travers would have joined the Knights do you?"

Andromeda snorted.

"A Gryffindor? I'm not even a part of the Knights and I know they wouldn't look too kindly on gryffindors." Andromeda remarked with a shake of her head.

"True… Although I've talked to Travers before, he doesn't seem the most pro-muggleborn." Molly mused aloud, staring off into the distance.

Andromeda shrugged noncommittally and glanced down at her watch.

"Oh, looks like my patrol is over." She declared relieved, Molly Prewett was smarter than she had thought. "See you later."

"Bye Andromeda." Molly chirped watching the girl speculatively as she walked away.

She was sure there was more to her than that.

* * *

><p>Andromeda was in trouble. She couldn't sort her thoughts and if there was nothing more important to her then it was knowing exactly what it was she thought about what, and recently her beliefs she'd come to know her whole life were changing.<p>

Unfortunately for her, she did not get a chance to sit down and sort out her own thoughts and beliefs, as she had patrols that evening, and it was the first night of her patrol with her new partner. She hoped they would be normal as she raced to the traditional meeting place from a tutoring session with a younger Slytherin, she hadn't had time to check her rotary all week.

She skidded to a halt with a look of disbelief plastered on her face. How was it she could be so unlucky? Of all the possible patrol partners she could have had, really only two since she knew she had Rockwood at the end of the year, it had to be him. This would not end well for her at all, she could tell.

"Shall we start?" She asked Tonks with an attempt at disdain.

She hoped if she could freeze him out and keep this whole ordeal as silent and uncomfortable as possible then maybe she could get through alive, because honestly there was no one she wanted to be walking around with less at the moment than Ted Tonks.

He nodded curtly and they headed off in complete silence, to Andromeda's relief. It seemed he didn't want to talk to her either and she was perfectly all right with that. However, about halfway through their patrol, her plan backfired.

The silence was killing her. Her whole life had been this awkward uncomfortable silence, and she couldn't handle it anymore, and for once in her life she could actually do something to stop it.

Andromeda took a deep breath and hoped that she didn't screw herself over too much by going down this road.

"If you start with Phineas Nigellus' line, which would be easiest since if you're going past him we're talking whole other centuries, then there are four." She stated, glancing hopefully at Tonks out of the corner of her eye.

"What?" He asked snapping up and staring at her in disbelief.

"You wanted to know who had been purged from the family line didn't you?" Andromeda asked, trying not to snap at his confused face. "Last time we talk, or I suppose three times ago if you count that corridor incident and the whole Xenophilius thing which I choose to ignore."

"Oh. Right. I remember that. Yes." Tonks rushed out with a scratch of his head as it came back to him, and then with a hint of disbelief. "You're going to tell me now?"

"Well, the silence is killing me, so I don't see any reason not to. At least it'll create some noise." Andromeda explained offhandly. "It's rather boring though."

"Boring is better than uncomfortable silence." Tonks suggested with a shrug.

"True. So, from Phineas Nigellus, which is all I remember up to anyways, there are four." Andromeda stated clearing her throat. "First is his sister Isla Black who married some muggle-born Bob Hitchens. Which of course is strictly against pureblood rules."

"A stupid horribly racist rule, mind." Tonks pointed out blithely.

"Don't interrupt, if you're going to be impertinent then we can just going back to being quiet." Andromeda snapped, shooting him a glare. "So after her you go to the next generation, Phineas Nigellus' kid Phineas. Big blight on his father, he was, supported muggle-born rights straight out of Hogwarts. He didn't stay on the family tree long."

"How dare he." Tonks scoffed mockingly. "To think that muggle-born might be people."

Andromeda shot him a deathly glare, which he cocked a smile at.

"I'm agreeing with you." He defended jokingly. "I personally can't stand muggle-borns. Have you ever hung around me I'm downright dreadful."

"One more strike." Andromeda warned, gritting her teeth in an attempt to fight back a laugh, as obnoxious as he was he was funny. "Then there's Marius Black who'd be my Great Uncle. Marius, to his misfortune and the family's embarrassment, was a squib. Poor fellow was booted out of the house at the age of eleven."

"Squib?" Tonks asked.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me! Can't you shut up for five seconds?" Andromeda cried in disbelief and annoyance.

"Well, no not really, I have a chronic talking problem, but I really don't know what a squib is." Tonks stated as Andromeda sent him a suspicious look. "Honest, I don't. Muggle-born, remember? We don't have squibs, and it's not something we've covered in class."

"A squib is basically the reverse of a muggle-born." Andromeda explained after debating whether to believe him or not for a few seconds. "They're someone from a magical family who possesses no magical powers. As you can imagine they aren't looked very kindly on in wizarding society."

"Oh. That's awful." Tonks observed, for once the smile dropping from his face. "What happened to him then, that Marius fellow from your family? You said he got kicked out of the family when he was eleven, why?"

"Well, eleven is the age your Hogwarts letter comes, isn't it? If your child hasn't exhibited any magical powers by then, it's probably not happening." Andromeda explained with a shrug. "As to what happened to Marius… I imagine he got sent to a muggle orphanage or something, if my great grandparents were feeling kind, which is doubtful. I never met my Great Grandfather Cygnus, but my Great Grandmother Violetta was a piece of work. I don't imagine he even lived…"

"What?" Tonks exclaimed in shock. "You're saying they might have killed him for being a squib? That's ridiculous, that is so messed up, I mean, their own child?"

"It was a different time, although nowadays it isn't necessarily unheard of." Andromeda said with a bitter laugh. "Being a squib is possibly the worst possible thing in a wizarding family. Especially one like mine. If anyone found out it could be a risk to our name so often they just get…disposed of quietly. It's no big deal honestly."

Tonks guffawed and stopped to stare at her for a few seconds.

"What?" Andromeda asked in confusion.

"That's just so backwards. You actually believe that?" Tonks proclaimed in outrage.

"Wha-Of course. That's just the way it is. It's how it's always been." Andromeda stated, more to herself to him, because it did sound a tad wrong. "Regardless there's nothing we can do about it. Pure blood families don't change, Tonks, they just don't. We have certain traditions we'll always follow and they'll always believe that they're right in following them."

Tonks stuttered angrily for a few seconds before his face lit up, as if something had just occurred to him, he smiled broadly at her.

"You're freaking me out…" Andromeda said unnerved, taking a step back.

"You said 'they'. Why did you say they?" Ted asked in poorly hidden excitement. "You had been saying 'we' but then you changed to 'they'."

"What? No. No I didn't." Andromeda defended, to her dismay realizing she had said 'they'.

Tonks shot her a skeptical look as Andromeda twiddled her hair nervously, this was exactly the dangerous territory she had not wanted to go into.

"How long do you think you can keep lying to yourself anyways?" Tonks questioned nonchalantly causing Andromeda to falter.

After a bit of a pause where Andromeda searched for anyway to avoid the question altogether she finally turned to Ted, twiddling with a section of hair.

"I have to keep lying to myself, because otherwise I will be completely and utterly screwed." She finally choked out, tugging on her hair. "You don't understand what it's like. If I stop believing for one second the things I've been taught since I was in the womb, I'm out of the family forever. I can't do that. It's all I have, so that's what we do. We lie to ourselves to preserve what we want most.

"It's hard though. Lying to yourself when the truth is staring you so hard in the face. It's been bothering me for weeks now, and… and it's all your fault." Andromeda stuttered out staring accusingly at Tonks.

"My fault? How is it my fault?" Tonks asked in shock.

"It's your fault because you're good at Quidditch!" Andromeda declared hotly.

"You're going to have to give me more here…"

"You had to be good at Quidditch. Quidditch is something I respect. I love Quidditch. However, I'm absolute rubbish at it, so how can a muggle-born be better at Quidditch than I am when we're supposed to be inherently better than you lot because we are born of magic. It doesn't make sense." Andromeda explained, trying to piece her thoughts together. "Flying a broom is a magical ability so how can someone like you be better at it than me, or even some of the purebloods on the Quidditch teams? It goes against everything I've ever learned."

"That's because everything you've been taught makes no sense." Tonks said placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, which Andromeda normally would have shrugged off but in the moment it was the least of her worries. "It was bound to happen sometime, wasn't it?"

"It never happened to Bellatrix, or Rookwood. They follow it blindly. I don't think they've ever had a single doubt. So why do I have to? Why do I have to be the one who realizes that maybe something isn't right here?" Andromeda replied, tugging restlessly on her uniform. "It's, it's not _fair._"

"Because, Andromeda. Haven't you ever thought for one second, realized that you are incredibly and insanely different from them?" Tonks asked her, turning to face her head on.

"Different? How am I different? We had the same upbringing, same parent in Bellatrix's case… So how am I any different?" Andromeda questioned staring at Tonks for an answer she couldn't seem to grasp.

However, for Andromeda's misfortune Tonks had taken the time between her response to check his watch and he held it up for her to see.

"Patrols over." He said with a sort of sad smile, a smile full of promises Andromeda couldn't even begin to comprehend. "I told my friend I'd help with homework once my patrol was over. I really have to go, sorry."

Andromeda watched as Tonks walked off, to go find some mysterious friend and answer all of her questions, while leaving Andromeda with so many more. As Andromeda stood there, staring at the spot where he had been standing not moments ago she tried to solve the riddle he had proposed her.

"Yes, but how am I any different?"


	5. Chapter Five

She woke up the next day in a fit of angry muttering. She hadn't rested well at all last night, if one could call what she had done resting in any case. She'd maybe managed an hour or so of sleep, but most of the night she had been kept up plagued with questions.

There was so much changing in her life all at once and she couldn't process any of it fast enough to know what she was thinking or how she felt. With the added NEWT level classes homework, she couldn't even focus on her real problems during the day, leaving her to contemplate all the mysteries of her life at one in the morning.

It was five in the morning now, but she had been up at one, and two, and three, and then at some time around four she'd managed to doze for an hour. Unfortunately she hadn't figured out any of the dilemmas that plagued her and as she sat up in bed at five in the morning she placed her head in her hands and growled in frustration.

Putting aside the confusing, unsolvable puzzle of how she was different from any of the other kids she had grown up with, which she had given up on figuring out at one in the morning, when she'd decided it was a fruitless endeavor, she was still having issues processing the idea that she wasn't better than muggle-borns.

The more she thought of Ted Tonks the more confused she got so she had banished him from her thoughts at about three, but he was slowly evading into her conundrum again, which was always inevitable anyways as he was the root of the problem and one could not solve a problem if they took out the root.

Hypothetically speaking, if everything she had learned when she was younger was false, that she truly wasn't better than muggle-borns, then why did every single pure-blood believe it? Surely a whole group of people could not be wrong? Especially not one that was so ancient and noble like her family?

On the other hand, this was the same group of people who stifled her intelligence and aspirations to fit into their societal norms, so clearly they weren't entirely fair and unbiased. In some way witches were less significant than wizards in pureblood society, though Andromeda didn't necessarily believe that was true. She knew from personal experience that she was certainly more clever than most of the pureblood boys she had met.

Maybe the beliefs of her family and society were just entirely wrong? Muggle-borns had equality for women didn't they? She didn't know too much for muggle rights but she was sure that they must favour them better than pureblood society, they certainly seemed to be more equal and accepting in other rights.

She flopped back down onto her bed and blew the hair out of her face in annoyance. Regardless of the fact that it made sense that pureblood society might be wrong, that didn't change the fact that a sudden disagreement with her family's belief would not end well for her. She was treading on dangerous territory even thinking such a thing. If she started to believe it she would be in big trouble.

She had to get her mind off of this. Dwelling on such dilemmas would only lead her down a very bad and forbidden path.

Placing her feet on the floor Andromeda got up and walked towards the door, she could go for something to eat, maybe a cupcake or scone or jammy dodger. Something sweet that could get her mind off all these dilemmas.

Once she was outside her dorm room she headed up the stairs and into the Slytherin Common room, walking quiet so as not to wake anyone. She hoped that no one would be up at this time since it was technically still after curfew and she was in her pajamas, but she doubted that anyone else was up at five am.

She weaved through the confusing mess of tunnels in the dungeons and popped through the door that connect the dungeons to the other side of the castle. It was not a well-known passage, but Andromeda had discovered it one day when she had gotten hopelessly lost in the dungeons. She was at the kitchens in no time.

Tickling the pear, a trick Andromeda had picked up from Bellatrix, she entered the kitchen and was immediately greeted by a house elf.

"What would you like Miss Black?" The house elf asked at once.

"Hmm, a plate of jammy dodgers should do, I think." Andromeda answered, mindlessly twiddling a piece of her hair.

She followed the house elf further into the kitchen and sat down at one of the tables that lay in a replica of the great hall, she thought it was either the Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff one she never could be sure which house sat where, and if she was honest she had never really cared.

Andromeda waited, drumming her fingers mindlessly on the table and glancing around. Just as she thought she had made a full sweep of the room her eyes fell on another person seated at the table across from her. She blinked in shock.

"Oh." She stated in surprise. "Hullo?"

"Hullo." The other girl greeted with a smile. "Come here often?"

"I couldn't sleep." Andromeda answered with a shrug. "You?"

"I was visiting a…friend. Couldn't sleep either." The girl stated standing up. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." Andromeda said gesturing to the seat in front of her. "Andromeda Black, and you are?"

"Oh I know who you are, I think the whole school knows who you are." The girl stated with a light laugh. "Hestia Jones. Don't worry, half-blood."

"I wasn't particularly." Andromeda remarked lightly. "House?"

"Ravenclaw seventh year. And you're a Slytherin sixth year so we can skip that part of introductions." Hestia proclaimed slightly rudely as she sat down. "I like your pajamas. That nightgown is very nice."

Andromeda shifted a tad uncomfortable as Hestia glanced over much in the way she was used to Walden glancing at her.

"Who were you visiting?" Andromeda inquired in an attempt to get some attention off of herself.

"My friend Charity." Hestia answered off handily looking a tad bored. "But that's tired. I'm much more interested in what Andromeda Black is doing in the kitchens at five in the morning in her little nighty."

"I told you I couldn't sleep." Andromeda stated roughly as Hestia wiggled her eyebrows at her.

"Yeah, got that. But why not? I mean, what was keeping you up. Thinking about a boy?" Hestia questioned with a hint of teasing in her voice before asking devilishly. "Or…perhaps a girl? That'd be certainly a biiig nono for Miss Pureblood."

"I wasn't thinking about a boy or a girl." Andromeda answered curtly before rethinking the statement. "Well, I guess technically I was thinking about a boy but not in the way you're thinking. It's only; the boy was correlated to what I was thinking about."

"Now I'm intrigued. Do tell." Hestia declared steepling her hands and then placing her head on them.

"It's… complicated." Andromeda waved off twiddling a piece of hair.

"You're only making me more curious dear." Hestia informed her with a smirk.

Andromeda was saved from retorting as a house elf placed the plate of jammy dodgers between them. Andromeda breathed a sigh of relief and picked one up, assuming the topic was over.

"So?" Hestia prompted, jammy dodger hanging out of her mouth.

It was then that Andromeda realized that she was talking to a near complete stranger at five in the morning who was almost surely hitting on her and eating all her jammy dodgers. There weren't many times that Andromeda shared secrets, in fact she fairly rarely ever did, but at five in the morning on a Wednesday with a random Ravenclaw she couldn't see any reason to not just go ahead and divulge some of her deeper thoughts. Keeping them to herself certainly wasn't helping after all.

Maybe it was the sleep deprivation, or the sudden intake of sugar, or simply the fact that Andromeda liked this girl from Ravenclaw who seemed to be hitting on her and had a friend named Charity. She intrigued and fascinated her, and despite all her reservations she felt some weird level of trust in the girl. It was almost an unspoken rule, what happened at five in the morning between two girls and nearly two hundred house elves stayed between them. Andromeda could feel it.

Andromeda took a big breath and plunged into the story. She explained to Hestia in a rushed description of all the strife and turmoil that had been bothering her lately until she caught up to the previous night, the comments that had been keeping her up, and had led to this chance five in the morning meeting. When she had finished Hestia let out a low whistle.

"Seems like you have a lot of thinking to do." She observed rather unhelpfully.

"I had no idea." Andromeda bit sarcastically. "The only problem is, the more I think about it the closer I get to drawing the wrong conclusion which will ultimately be the end of me."

"Out of curiosity, which conclusion is the wrong conclusion?" Hestia inquired.

"That muggle-borns are equal, obviously." Andromeda stated, causing Hestia to choke slightly on the jammy dodger she had taken a bite out of. "I mean, ethically speaking it's probably the right conclusion but in terms of my sanity it's certainly the wrong one.

"For instance, if I stop believing that muggle-borns are the scum of the earth then how can I coexist with my family? Have you ever been to a pureblood household? Our views are made pretty clear on such subjects and a disagreement will result in a quick eviction from the family. However, if I continue to ignore the fact that they're people and continue to hate them it will slowly kill me."

"Andromeda, there's no real right answer to this." Hestia stated placing a sympathetic hand over Andromeda's. "It's not black or white, only grey, because no matter what you're going to have to make a difficult choice that will shatter your world."

"Which one is the choice that will shatter my world least?" Andromeda asked weakly, twiddling her hair.

"My answer to that is a tad biased."

* * *

><p>Wednesday passed rather unceremoniously, creating no lasting imprint on Andromeda besides her five in the morning meeting with Hestia Jones. The rest of the day she tried avoiding her dilemma while, as is always the case, managing only to come back to it anytime she was not otherwise occupied. Andromeda had not realized until she was trying to avoid her own thoughts just how much downtime she had during her day.<p>

Despite the fact that she seemed to have a lot of downtime to focus on the problem that plagued her, Andromeda seemed incapable of coming to any reasonable conclusion. She waffled back and forth between choices but there was always something that nagged at her when she started to lean a little more to one side.

Before too long Andromeda found that it was Thursday, as is common for the progression of time. Moreover she quickly found that it was Thursday night which was the other night of patrols she shared with Tonks. She was unsure how she felt about this, as on one hand she was still completely perplexed how she could in anyway be 'different', but on the other hand as she was still entirely unsure of what she had decided to believe yet she imagined that discussing the matter with him would only cause more confusion.

"Hullo again." Andromeda greeted when Tonks showed up a few minutes late, tripping slightly up the stairs.

"Wotcher." Tonks greeted.

"Excuse me?" Andromeda asked in confusion. "What did you just say?"

"Wotcher. It's something Hestia says a lot." Tonks explained with a shrug. "She's a weird bird; we kind of humor her about it."

"Oh." Andromeda stated and then in a slight shocked revelation. "You… You know Hestia?"

"Yeah, of course. She's dating one of my best mates." Tonks answered absentmindedly. "More importantly, you know Hestia?"

"Yes. It's a recent acquaintance. She did say she was visiting a friend in Hufflepuff though, makes sense I suppose." Andromeda said, more to herself.

They fell into a moderately comfortable silence as they patrolled the halls, not having much to say to each other. For a few moments they walked before Tonks broke the silence with a question.

"I'm sorry, how did you say you knew Hestia?" He inquired startling Andromeda as the topic of Hestia had dropped her mind.

"We met yesterday morning in the kitchens." Andromeda answered. "I was having issues sleeping because I was busy questioning everything I'd learned since I was a small child. Wonder what caused that."

"Ah right. Reconciled to that yet, then?" Tonks asked conversationally as if it were no big deal. "That reminds me I had a question about something you said the other night…"

"You have a lot of questions, did you know that?" Andromeda bit with slight annoyance.

"You have a lot of anger, did you know that?" Tonks inquired jokingly, receiving a glare. "Isn't it kind of ironic that in gripping about all my questions you in yourself asked a question?"

Andromeda sent him a very frustrated glare which Tonks met with a very large smile which lessoned her anger slightly; it was hard to be mad at someone with such a nice smile.

"Perhaps it was a tad ironic." Andromeda allowed a small smile breaking on her face against her will. "What was your question in any case?"

"You won't eat me for asking?" Tonks asked in mock fear.

"Is that the questions or simply another question?" Andromeda joked with a roll of her eyes. "No I won't eat you, however keep in mind I did at one point take down five Slytherin bullies with my amazing spell work."

"Oh really? I hadn't heard." Tonks replied sarcastically. "You're really going to milk that one aren't you?"

"Oh, I can assure you I fully intend to. It at least comes in handy when I feel that I may need to threaten someone." Andromeda assured him with a smirk on her face. "I seem to recall earlier in the year I may have taken down a bear as well?"

"Hogwarts rumor mill at its finest." Tonks remarked with a laugh. "Now stop distracting me from asking my question."

"I have no idea what you could mean." Andromeda gasped in mock shock. "Those were not my intentions at all. Not everyone in the world has a motive, Ted Tonks, some of them simply like to converse with people. Perhaps you should not be so jaded."

"My apologies." Tonks apologized sarcastically. "Anyways, my question which I will not be forgetting about asking, mind, because it will help me sleep much easier, you said the other day that part of the reason you were so confused was because I played Quidditch."

"Yes I do recall this. Is there a question in here?" Andromeda cut him off, she remembered the whole conversation far too clearly.

"I'm getting to it, don't worry I know how much you love my questions." Tonks joked. "My question is, is that why the day of the Quidditch match when, er, you know with Bellatrix and all you looked at me so weirdly?"

"You're having problems sleeping because of that?" Andromeda asked with a laugh.

"It was a very creepy look! You were half leering half gaping at me for a good five minutes! It was incredibly alarming. I have nightmares about that look." Tonks defended in a slight outrage.

"I doubt it was really truly that alarming." Andromeda denied petulantly.

"I'm sure if you were ever transfixed with such a stare you wouldn't be saying the same. Without any explanation either, you just mumbled incoherently for a bit and then ran off!" Tonks argued resolutely. "It was terrifying."

"We'll simply have to agree to disagree then." Andromeda decided with a wave of her hand. "In any case that probably is why I gave you that very innocent and not at all creepy look. I honestly don't remember. I was having a very frazzled week, wasn't I?"

"It wasn't innocent." Tonks argued childishly. "I'll allow an incapability for you to recall properly due to the varying distressing incidents leading to that one."

"I can send you a terrifying look if you'd like to see one that is actually terrifying?" Andromeda offered to change the topic once and for all. "I have a handful of glares that I find work very well."

"Your glares aren't that terrifying." Tonks debated. "It's like when a declawed cat swats at you, as they have no claws it isn't exactly alarming, only kind of adorable."

"Did you just liken me to a declawed cat?" Andromeda gasped in shock.

"I think I did actually." Tonks declared as if it were an afterthought.

Andromeda shot him one of her more deadly glares.

"Hmm. Yeah. No fear here. I think you might over use them, maybe?" Tonks observed leaning closer and tapping Andromeda lightly on the nose. "See now, I never glare so when I glare it's very intimidating."

Despite herself Andromeda let out a round of laughter, she had once been on the receiving end of one of Tonks' glares and she recalled it not be very terrifying at all but instead rather confusing.

"Sorry to break this to you Ted, but you glaring is like when a baby deer trying to be intimidating. It just ends up being horribly amusing." Andromeda consoled sardonically, patting him on the shoulder.

"Oi!" Ted cried in outrage. "Don't compare me to a baby deer, Bambi was a rubbish movie!"

"There are so many parts of that statement I don't understand in the least." Andromeda stated.

Ted paused for a moment and reflected back on what he said.

"I forgot you guys don't have movies." He explained sheepishly.

Andromeda blinked at him in confusion.

"Movies are…?"

"How does one describe movies to a witch who has no experience with muggle technology?" Ted asked aloud to himself.

"I don't know. Hence why I'm asking what they are." Andromeda answered with a slight edge in her voice.

"All right, all right, calm down. Movies are kind of like the pictures you guys have. They're a moving portrayal of people, that have sound and are usually about an hour or two long." Ted attempted to explain. "Well, except for Gone with the Wind which is possibly the longest movie in existence."

"Oh… all right." Andromeda stated although she was even more confused.

"You still don't understand do you?" Ted inquired a tad disappointed.

"No, not at all. However, if it'll make you feel better I can pretend I know exactly what you're talking about?" Andromeda suggested twiddling a piece of hair.

"It's fine, I think the only way you'll really understand is if you watch one." Ted remarked with a smile. "I'll have to show you one sometime."

"All right." Andromeda replied with a smile. "I hadn't realized that there were so many differences between muggle and wizarding culture."

At this statement Ted could not help to laugh a little bit, as he was made painfully aware of the distances between them on many occasions.

"Don't laugh at me!" Andromeda exclaimed in slight upset. "I hadn't really given much thought to muggles in my life."

"Sorry. I wasn't laughing at you more at the idea, because I exist with a foot in both worlds so I'm made aware of the differences nearly every day." Ted explained quickly so as not to upset her.

"I forget sometimes that for ten years of your life you lived in a life completely without magic." Andromeda observed aloud, for once thinking about the connotation of living a life as a muggle. "That's so weird."

"Did you just say you forget I'm muggle-born?" Ted asked incredulous.

"Always back to the blood status with you. Are you sure you aren't the pure-blood here?" Andromeda joked elbowing Ted lightly in the ribs with a smile. "What's it like though?"

"What's what like? Being a pure-blood? I honestly have no idea…" Ted replied playing dumb.

"No." Andromeda answered laughing. "Being raised by muggles? What's it like not having magic or house-elves? Merlin's Beard, do you have to clean your own house?"

"You sound so incredulous at the cleaning prospect." Ted said with a laugh. "I don't know though, I mean it was pretty normal, I never thought anything of it. It was hard entering the wizarding world though, there's so much I don't know about or understand. I only know about house elves because I went over Molly's house once and, well it was a right shock."

Andromeda broke out in a fit giggles at the idea of an unwitting Ted walking in on the strange creature that was a house-elf.

"I imagine it'd be a lot like if a wizard entered the muggle world permanently, it's a lot for an eleven year old to adjust to. Everything is different though, different fairytales even. I only have a vague understanding of yours because once when I was staying over Arthur's his mother was telling his younger brother Bilius one and it was weird." Ted finished his monologue.

"Wait, you have different fairytales? What kind of fairytales do you have then? You don't have _Babbity Rabbity_? The _Fountain of Fair Fortune_ was always my favorite." Andromeda inquired in surprise.

"_Cinderella_, _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves_, _Red Riding Hood_. My mum used to tell me about this guy Robin Hood he was absolutely wicked." Ted answered reflecting back on his childhood and calling up some popular tales. "I have no understanding of anything you said to me though."

"I have no idea what you just said to me either." Andromeda agreed laughing.

Andromeda and Ted laughed for a little while at their complete ignorance of each other's cultures, although Andromeda found with a slight annoyance that she was more ignorant than Ted on the matter as he had been progressively learning more about her culture in the seven years he had been attending Hogwarts. If Andromeda was anything, it was competitive.

"You realize now that I'm going to have to learn more about muggle culture, right?" Andromeda asked once the laughter had subsided. "I'm too competitive and curious not to look into it now."

Ted snorted at the idea of pure-blood Andromeda Black learning about muggles.

"Don't snort at me!" She declared in mock outrage. "I don't imagine it'd be very hard at all."

"Sorry." Ted apologized trying to fight back more laughter, which bubbled out as a very large smile which Andromeda watched sharply. "Stop staring at my lips."

"I'm making sure you don't smile." Andromeda said resolutely.

"That's not what it seems like."

"It doesn't matter what it seems like that's what's happening."

"If anyone were to walk by us right now that's not what they'd think." Ted pointed out his smile growing larger as he tried to fight back laughter.

"If anyone were to walk by us right now then we'd give them detention for being out past curfew." Andromeda replied blandly.

"What if it was a teacher?"

"If a teacher walked by right now I'm sure they'd be more concerned that a pure-blood Slytherin was alone in the hallways with a muggle-born than the fact that I'm making sure you don't laugh at me." Andromeda retorted almost bitterly. "Particularly given that said pure-blood is a Black."

"I'm sure that they wouldn't right away assume…" Ted started say, the smile quickly wiped off his face.

"I'm sure they would." Andromeda stated cutting him off. "Prejudice goes both ways, Ted."

Ted opened his mouth to say something else but Andromeda cut him off before he even managed to utter a syllable.

"Patrols over." She stated. "I'll see you next time."

As she walked away from a rather perturbed Ted, Andromeda realized it didn't much matter her opinion on muggle-borns. She could always figure that out later if she had to, but she didn't need any particular defined belief on the matter, at least not for herself for the time being and given whoever inquired she could easily go along with their ideas on the matter.

As it was, all she cared about was that she rather enjoyed the company of one Ted Tonks despite the vast barriers between them, and regardless of whether he was a muggle-born or not she generally enjoyed his friendship and personality, and that was really all that truly mattered wasn't it? That she was surrounded by people who truly made her happy?

* * *

><p>In Defense Against the Dark Arts the next week, most likely Monday although Andromeda never much kept track of the day as her week tended to blur together in a mass of NEWT level stress, Andromeda was trying extremely hard to pay attention, however she was finding it increasingly hard.<p>

It was nothing against the teacher, Andromeda found Professor Bones, certainly a member of the prodigious and well known Bones family, of the first name Edgar if Andromeda could recall correctly which she was quite certain she could as there was not much she could not recall if she found it of even the vaguest importance, rather interesting. She thought him an incredibly fine teacher, and actually quite adored his teaching style and found to her delight that she rather flourished in the class and was near the top rank.

As it was Professor Bones was no less interesting today as he was any other day of class. He was not at fault. Neither, however, was Andromeda. One would assume were a student unable to pay attention it would most likely be because they were off in their own version of reality, daydreaming away their education. Andromeda was not, however, much of a daydreamer, at least not when she was sitting in her classes although if she were being honest she had had a great number of daydreams about one Kevin Broadmoor, beater of the Falmouth Falcons.

The blame, in any case, inexplicably fell neither on the girl in question nor the teacher but rather on one Edward Tonks who, the master of a rather tricky charm capable of sending a note one wrote on their own paper onto the paper of the intended receiver found it rather easy to communicate with Andromeda Black despite the fact that he sat as far away as feasibly possible, by no strategic means, mind, simply by the picking of seats upon the first day of class.

So, EdwardTonks found it of easy means to communicate with Andromeda Black through his handy little charm, to Andromeda's disadvantages however, she did not possess the knowledge of such a charm having never needing use of it. Therefore, the conversation was decidedly one-sided and Andromeda could not simply to tell him to shut up, not that she wanted him to mind, she rather enjoyed this peculiar and secretive way of communication, and while she was not capable by magic to reply she found that if she mouthed certain replies or gave an indication of her response via body language she could contribute in her own way to the conversation.

It was thus that Andromeda found herself incapable of paying attention in class, but rather to the notes on her desk which contained some rather hilarious statements from said Ted Tonks. In fact, it was all within her power to keep from laughing straight out at times.

Andromeda had been sitting rather innocently taking notes and giving Professor Bones her strict attention as he taught them about the particulars of the Imperious Curse when she glanced down at her notes and saw in a rather unfamiliar handwriting, or at least a vaguely familiar handwriting that she had seen before but could not discern to whom it belonged, a note etched upon her paper.

_I may have found a look of yours which is somehow even more terrifying than your creepy "you play Quidditch" look._

Andromeda glanced at Ted with an inquiring look upon her face and I slight hint of disagreement upon his statement, as she still maintained that the look she had given him was not at all terrifying or creepy.

_I know, I know "that look was not at all terrifying"-which as we both know is complete rubbish. However the look you are giving Professor Bones is terrifying. I don't think you're even blinking._

Andromeda rolled her eyes and went back to paying attention to Professor Bones, annoyed to find that she had missed part of the lecture, however every few minutes she would recall herself to blink.

_However, the truly terrifying part is the way you look like you're about to murder whichever unfortunate student raises their hand to ask a question._

Andromeda cocked an eyebrow at him as she remembered from a few nights past that he had stated that her glares were not at all frightening.

_And no, it's not glaring at them, get off your high horse. It's more the fact that you look like you're about to get up and perhaps use an Unforgivable on them for even thinking of asking a question._

Andromeda let out a low laugh behind her hand at the statement and the reference to the very subject she was trying to learn about.

_Of course, it'd make no difference if you did or not as we both know that you are about as dangerous as a declawed housecat._

Despite herself Andromeda let out a laugh which she tried to hide behind a series of coughs so as not to gain the suspicion of her teacher. When she had quieted her laughter/coughing she turned to Ted with a look of mock anger.

'Impertinent.' She mouthed at him trying to keep a smile off her face.

Instead of writing a response back Ted look her straight in the eye with a smirk on his face.

'Always.' He mouthed back tossing in a wink.

Andromeda choked on laughter which she tried to cover up with some more coughing. Across the room Ted himself let out a laugh which he failed horribly at covering up. Professor Bones stopped to shoot him an annoyed look.

As Andromeda quieted her 'coughing' once again she turned to mouth something back at Ted who meanwhile was whispering something to the girl next to him who let out a giggle, gaining Professor Bones attention once more.

'Pay attention.' Andromeda mouthed at Ted when he glanced in her direction again putting on a fake motherly look.

_But distracting you and getting you to laugh in the middle of class is so much more fun._

Andromeda sneered jokingly at him causing him to let out another laugh.

"Mr. Tonks, would you like to share with the class why you keep disrupting us with your laughter?" Professor Bones barked in annoyance at the third disruption.

"Sorry professor, I'm just joking around with a friend." Ted answered quickly.

"Ms. Burbage." Professor Bones stated shaking his head at the blonde girl seated next to Ted, obviously assuming it had been she. "I am rather disappointed in you both."

Poor Ms. Burbage, of whom Andromeda did not know her first name, in fact it was Andromeda's first time of seeing the girl, looked up rather confused.

"But professor I wasn't…" She defended before Professor Bones cut her off.

"Twenty points from Hufflepuff for the both of you." Professor Bones proclaimed before turning around to write something on the board.

As soon as he was once again occupied Ted turned to Andromeda with a mock and angry look, which given the fact that it seemed against Ted's very disposition to seem angry looked utterly ridiculous. Andromeda fought hard to keep the laughter back.

_Way to get me in trouble._

In an attempt to keep the building laughter down Andromeda glanced away from the paper, to her misfortune her eyes flying to Ted's face which had taken on a very upset pout, as if she had just kicked his puppy. Despite her resolve Andromeda cracked up. However, upon hearing laughter in his class once again Professor Bones whirled around at the exact moment that Andromeda's hand flew to her mouth and she attempted to pretend to cough again.

As it was, as soon as Andromeda had lost control Ted had started to laugh as well and as he was nearly incapable of hiding his laughter Professor Bones turned to him with a sharp glare.

"Mr. Tonks! Ms. Burbage! If you cannot cease this tomfoolery I will have to ask you to leave!" Professor Bones barked to everyone's shock as he was not often a teacher to kick students out.

"But professor…" Ms. Burbage attempted to defend herself again before being cut off once more by the irate professor.

"I don't want you half-assed excuses please." He remarked. "Can you behave or not?"

Before either could give their answer, although Ted's answer was clearly being given as he was still having issues quieting his laughter, Andromeda began to cough louder in an attempt to keep from laughing at Ted's increased worsening condition.

"Ms. Black, are you all right?!" Professor Bones asked, although as he was still rather irate it came out as more of a demand.

"N-N-no Professor." Andromeda managed to choke out before she found she could not hold back anymore and a fit of giggles escaped her lips.

"All three of you, out!" He declared gesturing to the door.

Andromeda packed up her stuff and coughed her way out of the class behind her hearing a still laughing Ted. Once they were safely outside and in the hallway Andromeda finally let her laughter tumble free, and for a few minutes she and Ted stood there laughing like idiots in the hallway as a confused Ms. Burbage looked on.

"What just happened?" She inquired as soon as they had quieted.

"Sorry Charity." Ted breathed out. "Completely my fault, I'm afraid you got in trouble by association. Professor Bones must have just assumed you were the other person laughing since you were sitting next to me."

"Ted Tonks." Andromeda choked out, trying to regain her breathing. "I find that within my acquaintance of you I am being kicked out of classrooms more and more."

"I could say the same of you, Andromeda Black." Ted retorted. "I did not get kicked out of classes until you sat next to me that first day of Transfiguration and refused to be quiet."

"I'm quite certain that I was not the one who wouldn't be silent." Andromeda argued with a raised eyebrow. "I believe that all the blame does in fact lie with you.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on!?" Charity declared drowning out whatever it was that Ted had been about to say. "How do you two even know each other?!"

"I'm afraid you got caught in the cross-hairs of Ted's shenanigans." Andromeda said sympathetically placing a hand on Charity's shoulder. "I am as much a victim, I suggest we cease speaking to him at once. Nothing good can come of his acquaintance."

"Oi! No need to be rude!" Ted yelped in outrage. "You're just as much to blame in all this as I am!"

"I was perfectly content taking my notes when you decided to play the 'Let's See If We Can Get Andromeda to Laugh' game. I don't see how I am at all at fault." Andromeda retorted coolly.

"It's your fault because you were creeping me out with how intently you were staring at Professor Bones! You weren't even blinking!" Ted declared. "I told you as much."

"Why were you even looking at me in the first place? Furthermore why is your go to description of me 'creepy' I feel I ought to be mildly offended."

Poor Charity Burbage at this rate was incredibly confused and was unsure if the two were actually fighting or simply mock bickering, and she wasn't sure if they truly knew either. However, as she had no idea how the friendship of her muggle-born best mate Ted Tonks and pure-blood Andromeda Black had come to be she was incredibly perplexed and in want of an answer.

"Will you both shut up and tell me why a Black is even talking to a muggle-born?!" She intervened raising her voice.

"Prefect meeting." They both answered at the same time turning to look at her.

"Poor Andromeda was so mystified by my charming personality and good looks that she never even realized I was a muggle-born." Ted declared incredibly humble.

"I really don't think that's how it happened at all." Andromeda pointed out.

"It's all right I don't believe it. Ted often proclaims we became friends because I was so bewitched by him I simply could not help but talk to him which makes no sense because…" Charity assured Andromeda warmly before Ted cut her off.

"I'm joking. We all know it's actually because I have incapability of not being overtly friendly." Ted remarked with a smile on his face.

"That's beginning to sound more accurate although the words 'annoyingly persistent' and 'incapability to shut up' had come to my mind." Andromeda bit jokingly before turning to Charity. "Andromeda, by the way."

"Oh. I know." Charity stated glancing with wide eyes at Andromeda's outstretched hand. "I'm Charity Burbage, muggle-born, so you probably want to put that hand back and I'm terribly sorry about all this, sometimes Ted gets out of hand and I mean, I really hope you don't…"

"Charity calm down she's not going to eat you." Ted cut her off with a warm smile.

"But she's a Black." Charity hissed glancing at Andromeda warily.

"It's fine, she's reformed. She doesn't hate muggle-borns anymore, right Andromeda?" Ted informed Charity with a smile.

"Well, to some degree." Andromeda supplied awkwardly to Ted's shock.

"To some degree?" He asked at once turning to face her. "What do you mean 'to some degree'? You still think I'm scum?"

"No, I don't think you're scum." Andromeda assured quickly. "It's just…It's all very complicated."

"It's not that complicated." Ted stated slightly angry now. "If you don't think I'm scum then how is it 'to some degree' that you don't think all muggle-born are scum? I'm muggle-born ergo, you can't think we're scum if you don't think I am."

"It's not that simple?" Andromeda suggested twiddling a piece of hair nervously.

"How is it-?! Oh." Ted began to question before he understand the implications and gave Andromeda a look of anger. "You don't think I'm scum, but you think in general all muggle-borns are scum. I'm an exception. I suppose I ought to feel honored. So then you think Charity is scum?"

"No! Charity seems very nice, I mean. It's not that simple." Andromeda argued pitifully, trying to piece together her own jumbled and indecisive thoughts.

"So your approach is 'muggle-born' are scum unless proven otherwise?" He inquired bitterly. "But since these two muggle-born are nice I can be their friends, but the other muggle-borns are still scum."

"No I don't, I don't think anyone is scum. I just-I don't know what you want me to say!" Andromeda cried now beginning to be annoyed herself.

"It doesn't matter what I want you to say. It matters what's right." Ted replied a hint of anger edging his words.

"The problem is I don't know what's right!" She snapped no longer upset but rather enraged herself. "It'd be all very simple if this was black and white but it's not, it's all just varying shades of grey. No matter what I decide on I'll end up offending someone or being wrong!"

"You can't please everyone, Andromeda." Ted informed her, almost cruelly, although Andromeda believed that Ted could not necessarily be cruel.

"Correction, I can't please _anyone_." Andromeda bit at him willing herself not to cry in the middle of the corridor with two muggle-borns. "Since conception Andromeda Violetta Black has had the inherent disability of being incapable of pleasing anyone. Congratulations, you finally figured it out."

Tonks blinked in shock, and poor Charity Burbage a bystander to this conversation stood in uncomfortable silence as Andromeda shot one final glare before stalking off, for the first time in her life allowing herself to feel the truth of just how broken she was.


	6. Chapter Six

Andromeda had luckily made it back to her room before the tears had started to fall, rather unwillingly as Andromeda was not a girl who was particularly fond of crying and saw it more of a sign of weakness than anything, probably a notion which had been instilled by her parents who upon seeing her cry had chided her for such a silly practise.

She laid in her bed, entirely broken and exposed, curtains drawn to allow some notion of privacy. She wasn't sure if the tears were from anger or apart of her sudden revelation of her brokenness, or even possibly a mixture of both, but she found that whatever the reason the wetness and sniffling was an incredibly uncomfortable and disgusting practise.

After sometime of lying on her bed, drenching her duvet and wallowing, Andromeda finally quieted her tears and wiped her face. Crying would get her nowhere. It did not matter if she was inherently broken, all that mattered was that no one knew she was broken, if she were to reveal the truth then it would be a sure weakness, and Blacks did not show weakness.

Somewhere in the back of her mind Andromeda was aware just how truly messed up this idea was, but that part of her mind was ignored, it was an easy practice after all these years, to easily shut the door on such a thought. It was the same way in which she had ignored the injustice of the hatred of muggle-borns for so many years, and then ignored the fact that she could not pretend that everything was okay when she could not choose which to believe.

It was easy to ignore the practical, just, part of her brain when all her life she had been taught to close the door and lock it away, so that's what she did, and it was somewhere in that distant inaccessible part of her brain that she guessed perhaps this was why she was broken in the first place.

She supposed that her acquaintanceship with Ted Tonks was surely over after their previous spat in the hallway and she found herself slightly disappointed in this. It would be easier, however, if she did not have to attend patrol with him two days a week. Even worse, one of her patrols with him was tomorrow night.

Once she had regained her composure Andromeda got up and checked her face in the mirror, finding it delightfully unpuffy she headed towards the door, no matter any emotional tiffs she may suffer during the day she still had class and after being kicked out of one class early she had to be sure to attend all her other ones and pay the utmost attention.

She noted, with some confusion, that of the classes she shared with him, Tonks was absent.

* * *

><p>Upon arriving in Ancient Runes Andromeda took her customary seat next to Xenophilius shooting a quick, predominately fake, smile his way. In the few minutes before Professor Maverick showed up, given that both students had shown up a tad early, they chatted amiably.<p>

"How have you been?" Andromeda inquired politely. "I feel as though I haven't seen you in ages."

"You just saw me last week in class." Xenophilius pointed out with a laugh.

"I don't remember much from last week, last week was a big week for me. Actually, this might just be a big month for me." Andromeda observed contemplating how much had happened in just once month.

"Oh?" Xenophilius inquired waiting to see if his friend would divulge any information. "I'm afraid my week was particularly dull, not a wrackspurt to be a found."

"Not even in some of the less focused students?" Andromeda joked. "I've been having a lot of time to introspect and deal with a lot of major life altering decisions. I hadn't informed you yet?"

"I'm afraid that wrackspurts are not the reason for why any students I have inspected are unfocused. Perhaps another creature I have not yet discovered is the reason? Interesting idea actually…" Xenophilius answered before drifting off slightly.

Andromeda waited for her friend to come out of his reverie as he contemplated the existence of another animal, she was used to these oft wanderings, although Xenophilius was a brilliant boy and a good friend, he often lacked the focus for long term discussion especially if an idea struck him that he found particularly intriguing and wished to contemplate it some more. She did not find it offensive, but rather enjoyed to watch the way his brain worked and often did not mind waiting for him to come back down to Earth.

"Possible, quite possible." Xenophilius murmured to himself after a few minutes before turning to Andromeda again. "I do not remember you departing any such information. However, we did have an exam in Ancient Runes when we last saw each other so perhaps there was not much time for talking."

"So we did." Andromeda agreed thinking back to the past Ancient Runes lesson. "I hardly remember taking it with all that was going on. In any case the gist of what happened is that I started my patrols with Tonks and he had me reevaluating some of the more…racist ideas of my family, so I've essentially been dealing with all the ramifications of changing my ideals."

"Ah yes. I do believe Ted mentioned something about that offhandly to me." Xenophilius observed. "Well, I say offhandly I really more so mean that he came up to me in excitement and…"

"Ted was talking about me to you?" Andromeda asked in a mixture between surprise and some degree of excitement which she did not quite understand, cutting Xenophilius off.

"Why yes." Xenophilius confirmed. "Is it a big deal?"

"No." Andromeda said with a forced laugh. "I was simply shocked."

"Speaking of Ted, I couldn't help but notice after Transfiguration today he hasn't been to any classes. Do you know where he's been?" Xenophilius inquired. "He doesn't usually skive off classes so I'm a little confused."

"Yes, well." Andromeda stammered reddening slightly. "We got in a little tiff and I haven't seen him since. I thought it peculiar as well."

"Curious." Xenophilius observed starting to go into his contemplative mind space before turning back to her. "What did you say you fought about?"

"I didn't." Andromeda stated. "It was over politics essentially, we argued of muggle-borns and my opinion of them."

"Ah yes. That would explain it if your side of the argument wasn't positive, which I imagine it wouldn't be if you fought. Unless if suddenly Ted has decided to hate himself." Xenophilius noted with a laugh.

"It was complicated. I'm not sure how I feel and, well, long story short Ted wasn't exactly happy." Andromeda admitted, twiddling her hair.

Xenophilius nodded and glanced off into space again as if figuring out the equation, Andromeda wished, not for the first time, that she could get a glimpse into the boy's head to understand the dilemma set before her.

However, on the other hand she did not necessarily want to discuss Ted, she was still moderately peeved about his expecting her to suddenly reverse all her views without a simple hesitation and right away. His lack of understanding of the delicacy of the subject irked her to no end and she truly wished for a change in the subject.

"Xenophilius." She called, feeling a tad guilty for breaking him out of his contemplations, but she needed a distraction. "Tell me about crumple-horned snorkacks?"

Xenophilius smiled, delighted to divulge about his favorite animal and launch into a discussion of the crumple-horned snorkack's mating rituals until Professor Maverick showed up and started the class.

* * *

><p>"My dear sister." Bellatrix greeted, looking down at Andromeda from across the dinner table. "What is this I hear about you getting kicked out class with not just one, but two Mudbloods?"<p>

"It's no big deal, Bella, the two mug-Mudbloods were goofing off in class and were being rather annoying, so when Professor Bones finally punished them I couldn't help but laugh a bit in pleasure. I'm sure you would have done the same." Andromeda lied easily. "Unfortunately he kicked me out as well."

"That's not how I heard it." Bellatrix warned darkly.

"I can't imagine why anyone would lie and try to paint me in a positive light with Mudbloods." Andromeda bit, laying on the sarcasm. "It's not as though I'm from the most true and noble House of Black. Surely no one would want to ruin my reputation."

"Persimmon Nott probably started up the version I heard. She's still in social outcast from your little incident in the beginning of the year." Bellatrix agreed glancing with uncontained disgust at Persimmon who was sitting by herself.

"Is she?" Andromeda inquired a little disinterested; she had not given Persimmon a second thought in months. "I honestly had completely forgotten about her. She deserves it nonetheless."

Bellatrix let out a wicked laugh.

"I'm sure she has not forgotten about you." Bellatrix remarked.

Andromeda shrugged unconcerned with Persimmon Nott and whatever form of revenge she might try to enact.

The two sisters sat eating in silence for a little while, a pleasant silence, although Andromeda was admittedly a tad wary of Bellatrix since the alcove incident and Bellatrix appeared to be on edge, although Andromeda supposed Bellatrix might always be a little on edge.

"So, Andy." Bellatrix began awkwardly causing Andromeda to look at her a bit in surprise.

"Yes, Bella?" She asked giving her sister her full attention.

"About the alcove the other day, when I yelled at you." Bellatrix said taking a bit of her dinner to give her time to formulate her thoughts. "Well, I'm sure you understand why I did it. Perhaps however I should not have been so harsh. You don't hold it against me do you?"

"No, of course not." Andromeda agreed instantly, a tad put off by this subject, unsure if Bellatrix was attempting to apologize.

"You did deserve it after all, we know you were a bit out of line, but perhaps we both overstepped ourselves a tad." Bellatrix plunged on, causing Andromeda to raise an eyebrow.

"Bella, are you trying to apologize?" She asked in disbelief.

"No." Bellatrix answered at once a bit insulted by the idea. "Blacks do not apologize. Blacks do nothing worth apologizing for. It is not our fault if someone is hurt by something we do, it is rather their fault for being sensitive. I am simply making sure that you understand why what happened did happen."

"Right." Andromeda muttered to her dinner. "Blacks don't apologize."

"You understand then? We are all right?" Bellatrix inquired with a hopeful smile.

However, Andromeda did not understand and although she knew she ought to play along some part of her couldn't just let this slide.

"Don't you think it's a little screwed up?" Andromeda replied rhetorically. "That it is almost impossible for us to apologize and that we absolutely refuse to, even if we know we're in the wrong?"

"Blacks are never in the wrong, Andromeda." Bellatrix retorted sharply. "We both know that."

"We're not always right Bellatrix. That's ridiculous. You can't be right all the time." Andromeda pointed out, trying to get Bellatrix to understand. "For instance, we're both Blacks, we're both disagreeing, we can't both be right."

"No, you are obviously entirely wrong. However, you are not exactly acting like a Black at the moment, are you?" Bellatrix remarked harshly. "Where are these rebellious ideas coming from?"

"I'm not a sheep Bellatrix…" Andromeda began to explain before Bellatrix cut her off.

"Are you implying that I am?" Bellatrix demanded wildly.

"No." Andromeda assured, although she actually was. "It's not all about you Bellatrix. We're not the center of the universe."

Bellatrix looked at her aghast at the very notion as Andromeda looked at her with a pleading look, trying to get her to see sense.

"We are Blacks." Bellatrix hissed shooting Andromeda a glare.

"A last name doesn't give you precedence over everyone else!" Andromeda cried in exasperation.

"It is not just the last name, it is the breeding, the intelligence, the pure blood." Bellatrix retorted, rattling off some of their estimable qualities.

"Blood status isn't everything!" Andromeda yelled waving her hands angrily. "Years of inbreeding doesn't make us inherently better than everyone else!"

Bellatrix stared at her a few seconds, wildly, numerous expressions crossing her face. Finally she got up and walked around the table, grabbing Andromeda by the arm and dragging her violently towards the door.

Once out of the Great Hall Bellatrix pulled Andromeda over to a more secluded area and threw her, rather unceremoniously, against the wall. Andromeda hit the wall rather harshly, with a loud crash and sank to the floor as she found her legs could not support her.

"Blood status isn't everything!?" Bellatrix declared wildly, terrifying Andromeda. "Where are these rebellious ideas coming from?! This is insanity!"

"I, I just meant that it doesn't necessarily make us the best, of course blood status is important it's just that…" Andromeda tried to recover realizing she had gone too far, that Bellatrix would never see her side.

"Of course it does! We are better than everyone else! You used to know that Andromeda. What happened!?" Bellatrix raged shooting an angry kick in Andromeda's general direction that luckily hit the wall a few degrees to the left.

Andromeda found to her own disgust that tears were beginning to well up in her eyes, although she noted dully these were tears of fear. She was frightened of her sister, the girl who used to be normally pleasant to her looked like she was about to hex her into oblivion.

Bellatrix crouched down and leaned forward, grabbing a hunk of Andromeda's hair to get her to look her in the eyes, Andromeda's frightened eyes met her sister's murderous ones, and in an attempt to keep her sister from seeing how truly terrified she was Andromeda pulled on one of her vicious glares herself.

"I don't know what's gotten into you." Bellatrix hissed threateningly, mere inches from Andromeda's face. "But you better reevaluate your little thoughts before you turn seventeen. I won't have you screwing up my chances with the Knights. Got it?"

Andromeda met her sister challengingly the fear in her eyes hidden only slightly by her resolution not to give in, however Bellatrix could sense her fear and with a cruel smile threw her sister back into the wall.

"I said, got it?" She bit viciously glaring down at her sister who was lying against the wall staring up at Bellatrix with blank, listless eyes.

No matter what she wouldn't let Bellatrix the satisfaction of seeing just how terrified and broken she was, she would not show weakness. However her body seemed to disagree with her wants as tears pricked her eyes again, this time almost certainly from pain.

"Are you crying?" Bellatrix spat in disgust. "Blacks don't cry."

"Maybe being a Black isn't all it's cracked up to be." Andromeda replied staring at Bellatrix defiantly.

"Maybe you aren't cracked up to be a Black." Bellatrix retorted, shooting one final kick in Andromeda's direction which this time did connect with her abdomen. "I expect an apology for these little disgusting thoughts."

"Blacks." Andromeda spat angrily from the floor. "Don't apologize."

Bellatrix's lips twisted in a sick smile that unnerved Andromeda, before she turned and stalked off leaving her sister and once best friend on the floor somewhere near the Great Hall bruised and with her pride wounded.

Andromeda sat there for a few minutes, attempting to gather the energy to pick herself up off the floor, she was aware that anyone might exit the Great Hall at any moment, and she did not wish to feel the embarrassment of being found in such a state, however, to Andromeda's misfortune just as she was sure she might be able to at least hobble towards the stairs to the dungeon, someone exited the Great Hall.

Andromeda hoped that they wouldn't notice her; however it seemed to her that they might actually be looking for her, as they were looking around as if in search. As they stepped nearer Andromeda noted it was possibly the last person she wanted to see.

A bright red head came walking towards her, a look of concern plastered on his freckled face. Andromeda let out a heavy sigh in annoyance that of all the people to come looking for her it had to be Weasley. She supposed he'd want two favors out of her now.

"Are you all right?" Arthur asked once he was close enough to get a good look at Andromeda.

"I'm fine." Andromeda grunted out. "What are you doing here?"

"I happen to be very familiar with Bellatrix's deadly walk. Couldn't help but notice she was using it when she dragged you out of the Great Hall. Figured I ought to come out and be sure you're okay." Arthur answered with a shrug.

"I'm okay." Andromeda spat, trying to stand up and failing to do more than elicit a gasp of pain.

"I can tell. Really got full use of your body there." Arthur agreed sarcastically, assessing the damage Bellatrix had done. "I reckon you need to go to the Hospital Wing."

"No, I don't. I just need to move out of this hallway." She replied, trying to get up again.

"Why not move out of this hallway and to the Hospital Wing?" Arthur suggested.

"No. I can't go to the Hospital Wing." Andromeda bit out. "If I go to the Hospital Wing the word will spread all over school. I don't need more rumors about me starting."

"Rather rumors than being permanently paralyzed." Arthur remarked with a shrug.

"It's not as bad as all that. Just a few bumps and bruises." Andromeda declared as she finally forced her way into a standing position, leaning on the wall for support.

"You never know. You could have internal bleeding or something." Arthur reasoned, stepping forward to offer Andromeda something to lean on.

"I don't." Andromeda said sharply. "I'd know. I just need a healing potion which I can make. The Hospital Wing is entirely unnecessary."

"All right, we won't go to the Hospital Wing, where do you want to go then?" Arthur conceded.

"I hadn't thought that far." Andromeda realized, trying to figure out a place to go. "Bella will be in the Common Room…"

"I've got an idea." Arthur declared with a smile.

"Where?" Andromeda inquired. "I swear to Circe, if you say the Hospital Wing…"

"No, not the Hospital Wing. Don't worry about it. We ought to get going though." Arthur answered, offering his shoulder to Andromeda again.

"Fine." She puffed out, leaning against Arthur. "This never happened."

Arthur nodded and they went on their way, Andromeda leaning on Arthur. As they headed up the stairs, Andromeda began to black out from the pain, losing track of where they were going. She refused, however, to pass out, as that would mean Arthur would be forced to carry her, and she wouldn't let anyone see that. A Black being carried around by a blood traitor would be one of the most embarrassing things, and it would only result in more anger from Bellatrix.

As much as she fought the pain, however, Andromeda was finding it rather hard to stay focused on where they were going, and only finally got her bearings when Arthur set her down and the blinding pain seemed to dissipate a little. She glanced around and found herself in a rather familiar room, with bright lights and a smell of over cleanliness hanging in the air.

"You brought me to the Hospital Wing?!" She yelled out in rage, trying to hit Arthur but finding the effort too much. "I told you I didn't want to come here!"

"Good thing he did, dearie." Madame Renfield clicked, mixing something up on the bedside table. "You're pretty badly hurt."

Andromeda glowered at Arthur, who didn't seem all that scared of the looks she was giving him, but was instead smiling at her.

"You needed to go to the Hospital Wing." He declared.

"You're going to regret this." Andromeda growled, before being gently pushed back by Madame Renfield.

There was no point trying to fight it now that she was here, however Andromeda made the note to kill Arthur Weasley when her wounds healed.

* * *

><p>It was Tuesday night and Andromeda found herself ridiculously nervous, although if asked she could not have named it as such herself. She had been progressively more on edge as the day went on. Why she was nervous she did not entirely understand. At first it had started off as an odd pit in her stomach during her last class of the day, which she had written off as hunger.<p>

However, during dinner the pit seemed to only grow, particularly when she would glance up and see a flash of a yellow and black scarf or tie or untied shoe or rumpled pants leg. To her confusion she would quickly focus on her food, although she wasn't finding much of an appetite as it was, when one of these objects would whisk by, and try to appear as unambiguous as possible.

On top of the strange feeling that ate at her, that she did not understand in the least as Andromeda was in general a wholly unnervous person, Bellatrix had still not 'forgiven her'. She was sitting along further down the table with her Knights of Walpurgis friends, shooting a glare towards Andromeda every now and then.

Andromeda poked her food rather half-heartedly, but found she was not that hungry, despite the growing pit in her stomach. She tried for another bite, rather unsuccessfully, and found whatever had previously existed of her appetite was gone. Sighing, she got up and decided to head back to her room to check if there was any homework she had forgotten to do, or a test that needed studying for. However, when she got there and checked her carefully organized planner she found that, much as she had expected, she was all caught up.

She tapped her foot anxiously and tried to figure out where this pit in her stomach was coming from. Her roommates entered a while later, clearly having had finished their dinner, and sat down on one of their beds, chatting about some new band. Andromeda tried to let their meaningless conversation, she often found most of her roommates' conversations meaningless, wash over her and distract her from the odd pit in her stomach. However, much like with dinner she found her attempts unsuccessful.

Andromeda let out a grunt of annoyance and got out of her bed, deciding she'd try to go somewhere quieter and hope that the odd feeling that still overwhelmed her would soon go away. Arriving in the library, Andromeda grabbed a random book off a shelf, in her favorite section, and cracked it open, submerging herself in healing spells and quick-fixes to help dull her nerves. However, although more successful than her previous attempts, even reading did not help to ease her nerves and every few minutes Andromeda would glance at the clock, and as time seemed to get later and later the pit in her stomach only grew.

Finally, it was time for her rounds and Andromeda packed up her stuff, putting the book away, before walking reluctantly out the door. She walked into the entrance hall and found Ted already standing there waiting. When she glanced at him, her anxiety seemed to double, and as a result couldn't help but glare.

Ted, for his own part, did not seem much happier. It was evident that he still was rather annoyed about their previous fight, not meeting Andromeda with his usual warm smile. Besides the obvious emotions of anger and annoyance that were evident on his face, emotions that Andromeda understood quite well and was rather familiar with, there was another emotion evident that made Ted look slightly off.

For the life of her, Andromeda couldn't quite place it, despite how she tried, running throw an array of possible emotions. Was it guilt? Nerves? Unable to place it and left perplexed, and still rather annoyed, Andromeda twiddled her hair, feeling incredibly misplaced.

"Should we get started then?" She inquired to break the awkward and tense silence that seemed to surround them.

Ted nodded and they headed off on their rounds, following the same schedule as they usually did in complete silence. Andromeda wondered abstractly why it seemed every round with Ted Tonks always had to start with a tense silence as they both tried to pretend the other didn't exist. Unable to deduce why, but finding that the quiet meanderings helped to separate herself from said dilemma, Andromeda concluded it was his turn to break the silence.

She waited a good ten minutes for him to speak up, glancing at her watch every now and then as time seemed to drag on. She would glance up at him occasionally, expectantly, but found his gaze was always firmly planted on his feet or on the wall. After ten silent tense minutes passed, and the pit in Andromeda's stomach seemed only to increase, Andromeda resolved to wait another five. If he hadn't made some attempt to make conversation after five more minutes then she supposed the duty would fall on her, which was completely ridiculous as she was quite sure she had broken the silence last time.

The least he could do was respect the rules of conversation and tense silences. It was obviously his turn and it was absolutely ridiculous that he expect her to speak up. Although it was evident he expected just that, as he stood there as silent as ever, glancing rather purposefully at the floor, to Andromeda's annoyance.

For five minutes Andromeda's anger only grew, waiting for him to pick up his side of social conventions. He was simply being rude now, and Andromeda in an annoyed tantrum decided she didn't care if she had to live with this discomfort in the pit of her stomach for the rest of her life, it was his bloody turn to break the silence and she would be damned if she had to speak up just because he was too rude to do so. They could stay in this uncomfortable silence for the whole night for all she cared. It was his turn, and he was going to have to speak.

Her indignant resolve held out for about fifteen more minutes, congratulating herself for not caving and teaching Ted some proper social skills. However, after fifteen minutes more the silence seemed absolutely deafening and Andromeda found her resolve weakening. Despite herself and her belief that it was his turn, she couldn't handle the silence anymore and decided she would be the bigger person and speak up, even though it was so obviously his turn and she was doing him a great favor in breaking the silence. Not that she expected him to be grateful, the rude twat that he was.

"It's your turn." She pointed out pettily, confusing and surprising Ted.

"What?" He asked, blinking back into the situation they were in.

"It's your turn to break the awkward silence and frankly I find it rather rude that you are making me do it twice in a row, since I definitely spoke up first last time as well." Andromeda explained harshly, as if even making her explain it was a rude act on his part.

"Just to be clear, you've been making up imaginary rules this whole time?" Ted clarified. "Because while you were doing that I've been trying to figure out a way to say what's been bothering me without sounding like a pretentious jerk."

"Well you seem to have been utilizing your time better than me." Andromeda admitted reluctantly. "They're not imaginary rules, by the way, it's called fairness and regardless of whether or not you were actually focusing on the problem at hand it was still rude to make me speak up first."

"I was actually about to say something when you started spouting your weird rules." Ted remarked with a bemused smile on his face.

"Oh." She stated feeling slightly stupid. "Then speak away."

There were a few seconds of silence as Ted seemed to prepare for whatever he was about to say.

"Okay." He began, taking a starting breath. "I'm sorry about how mad I got at you the other day, I still think it's complete bollocks mind, but I understand more now why you're afraid to give up the beliefs from your childhood. After hearing about how Bellatrix reacted from one thing you said I get why you're reluctant to admit to yourself that just because your blood is 'pure' you're not necessarily better.

"And I mean I'm not really okay with the fact that you're going to sit there being too afraid to make a choice, but I understand at least and I'm not going to push you or get mad at you. Because I get it's hard to just completely abandon everything you've been taught since childhood so, I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm sorry for pushing you so much and getting so mad because I didn't really realize how hard it was."

"Well that's no good, is it?" Andromeda replied with a faint smile on her face.

"Pardon?" Ted asked in confusion. "I thought that was quite good myself I know I repeated myself a bit but I think the core idea was expressed quite-."

"I'm not talking about your prose, stupid." Andromeda said with a laugh.

"Well then I'm just at a loss." He stated with a shrug. "What's no good?"

"If you're not going to push me to be a better person then I'm not going to be able to maintain it, am I?" She answered. "That is to say, right before that whole mess with Bellatrix, and during it I suppose, I realized you were quite right. I can't just go around waffling over my beliefs, and there's no way I can go back to believing what I did before without having any doubts which, if we're being honest, I always did, I was just better at ignoring them.

"As it is, I don't see there's any way that I can pretend that I'm any better than you or that friend of yours Charity, or any other muggle-born or half-blood or blood-traitor or whoever else just because my blood is 'pure'. It's been proven quite a bit that that isn't true, so how can I go on believing it or even denying it? That would just be stupid. I'm done. Done believing something just because someone told me to, because it's always been that way. The fact of the matter is that we're all equals, there's proof of that so how can I deny it? The only proof I have that I could be any way better than you is my family tree and that's been modified to show that specifically.

"To make a long story short, you're right and I was just being stupid, so I'm sorry for being a complete prat. Although I appreciate that you were willing to respect that my family is crazy and changing my beliefs is pretty much certain death." Andromeda concluded with a smirk. "You should appreciate that 'sorry' by the way, Blacks don't apologize."

"I'll take it as a sign you're turning over a new leaf." Ted replied with a smile on his face.

"Just to clarify, I'm not telling my family though. That would just be stupid."

"Yeah, I can see where that might be a bad idea if recent events are any indication. I completely respect and am okay with that decision."

Andromeda and Ted fell into a comfortable silence, smiles on their face. Andromeda noted with relief that the pit in her stomach seemed to have dissipated at some point during her monologue.

"I want to point out, that my monologue was much more eloquent than yours. I'm just saying." Andromeda said with a smirk, to Ted's chagrin.

"Whatever show off. So you can put words together better than me, big deal. I can still play Quidditch better than you."


	7. Chapter Seven

In some ways Andromeda couldn't help but feel lighter. She knew it was silly seeing as inevitably changing her mind about muggle-borns would only lead to more pain and problems, but having made up her mind about it couldn't help but make her feel more resolved. She was no longer struggling against two different ideals, two different worlds, she had made up her mind and there was no going back. Something about the certainty of that, that no matter what her life was no longer on the same track as it once was, although at the time she had no idea how different, gave her a sort of free feeling that she'd never before experienced.

Her whole life she had been told what to do. How to dress, how to behave, what to believe, who to marry, and for once in her life she had outright disobeyed. Given, none of her family knew and she hoped despite the extreme impossibility of it, that they never would know, she still felt a sort of rebellious freedom. She could be anyone she wanted to be, in certain terms in any case.

This new found freedom of being able to do whatever she wanted was brought to an abrupt halt however, when after her potions class Professor Slughorn reminded her that the Slug Club Christmas party was upon them and that she ought to bring a date if she could find a boy who she thought was on her level.

Andromeda rolled her eyes at the flattery, not only because it was so incredibly blatant, but because Slughorn knew that dating a boy was pretty pointless as it was only going to end in disaster come the end of next year. Sometimes she just couldn't begin to understand what went through that man's brain, he seemed to forget the importance of high society during crucial moments.

She had run into the same careless phrasing during her fifth year when the heads of houses had to meet with every student and discuss their OWLs and NEWT classes. Slughorn had tried to discuss some sort of career path with Andromeda, who herself wished she could have a career and therefore only found the slip of mind only more offensive, and Andromeda had been forced to remind him that her complete nonchalance on the matter of NEWT classes wasn't brought on by an uncaring of education, but rather because in pure blood society it didn't matter how intelligent you were, or how many NEWTs you had passed, women didn't work unless if her husband was all right with it, and pure blood husbands never were.

Unfortunately for her, she'd have to spend a whole evening in the presence of this idiot. It wasn't that Andromeda thought particularly ill of Slughorn, he always meant well, it was just that he didn't quite understand her way of life, not being a pure blood himself, and worse than all that he more often than not saw her as a piece of meat. It was evident from her first day of Hogwarts that Slughorn was going to try to 'collect' her, as he did with all Blacks previous and thereafter. He had collected Bellatrix, he had collected her, he had collected Narcissa, and Andromeda was quite positive that when Sirius and Regulus arrived he would try to collect them as well.

It was for these reasons, and the prevailing fact that Andromeda simply did not want to go, that she was not looking forward to the Slug Club Christmas Party. Regardless of whether she wanted to go or not, however, it was her duty, decided by whom she did not know but she truly hated them for it, to go. If it weren't for the fact that Bellatrix and Narcissa were both going and therefore forcing her to go, Bellatrix had decided they were friends again and hated everyone else in the school so she'd have absolutely no one else to hang out with if Andromeda didn't go, then Andromeda would most likely skive it off and claim she hadn't been feeling well.

As it was, however, Andromeda was going, and even worse Andromeda had a rather impatient Bellatrix at her door ever five seconds demanding that she get ready already. In Bellatrix's mind, Andromeda assumed, the faster they got there the quicker they could leave. This idea, of course, was completely ridiculous. It was well known that once you entered a Slug Club party you did not leave until about two hours after it was meant to end, Slughorn allow it. If one was particularly unlucky, he would somehow talk them into helping him to clean up.

Bellatrix, for whatever reason, always seemed to forget this fact, and tended to rush Andromeda and Narcissa in an attempt to get in and get out as quick as possible. Andromeda, on the other hand, the more practical of the two and apparently the one with the better memory, tried to take as long as possible getting ready to put off arriving to the accursed party. In the end though, there was only so long Andromeda could take, particularly since she didn't care much at all how she looked for such an event, Narcissa had to look absolutely perfect.

Narcissa was notorious for making them at the very least an hour late to most functions, and generally later to Slug Club functions. Andromeda never quite understood why Narcissa put so much energy into her appearance, especially for something as unimportant as a Christmas Party, but she had chalked it up to some attempt to win over the other well-bred, pureblood boys that would be in attendance. In a way Andromeda couldn't help but admire how calculating her younger sister truly was.

Unfortunately, Andromeda had put off opening the door and succumbing defeat to her impatient older sister for long enough. Her last curl bounced into place and Andromeda noted with a little regret that she was as ready as she could ever be. Reluctantly she walked to the door, as slowly as possible, and opened it to a very annoyed Bellatrix.

"It's about bloody time!" Bellatrix remarked almost as soon as the door was open enough for her to see Andromeda. "I don't know why you waste so much time on your appearance, it's not like anyone important will be there. Plus we're already engaged so it's not like you need to worry about impressing guys like Narcissa."

"It's important to look nice." Andromeda said with a shrug. "Are we going to go stand outside Narcissa's door impatiently now?"

"Unfortunately. You two never seem to understand, that if we could get there sooner then we could be back in our rooms and away from that dreadful party much sooner. Instead you dawdle about curling your eyelashes and powdering your faces." Bellatrix chided, sounding quite scarily like their mother.

"It's important to make a good impression." Andromeda stated.

"Yes, yes, very important. But we've already made an impression on the whole school and we always look nice so it doesn't really matter if you've plucked an extra eyebrow hair or not, does it?" Bellatrix snapped with a roll of her eyes.

"On the contrary, I don't think you ever look nice, Bella." Andromeda retorted.

"Well you have me there." Bellatrix said with a laugh.

The two girls fell into a comfortable silence as they reached Narcissa's door. Bellatrix knocked almost at once and waited impatiently for an answer from the girl with in.

"Come in." Narcissa called through the door, obviously too busy to get up and get the door, and too considerate to make them wait in the hall.

Unlike Andromeda, who had been happy to have a door between her and her extremely impatient sister.

They entered and found Narcissa seemingly almost ready. Her hair was done, and she was assumingly finishing up on her face, although it was usually impossible to tell with Narcissa.

"I'll be done in a few minutes." Narcissa answered the unasked question. "I just need to put on my outfit and I'll be good to go."

"That's good to hear, we might actually be there at a semi-reasonable time." Bellatrix bit, tapping her foot as Narcissa made no move to get up and get dressed, but rather continued to put finishing touches on her face and hair. "Any time you feel like getting dressed."

"Oh do calm down, Bella dear." Narcissa said with a laugh as she got up and walked to her bed where her outfit had been laid out. "You know as well as I do that it makes no difference when we get there, we'll still be there for hours. Besides, it's important I make a good impression, unlike you two I still need to worry about getting a husband."

"You two and your good impressions." Bellatrix muttered under her breath in clear annoyance.

"Narcissa, you haven't even come out yet, you don't really need to worry about a husband yet. You still have another year until your season, and we all know the boys will be dropping at your feet." Andromeda said with a roll of her eyes, albeit secretly grateful Narcissa was taking so long.

"Yes but I need to lay ground work before then, I'm not going to get stuck with just anyone, I'm going to marry importantly, find myself someone handsome, who has a future. You know as well as I do that those boys get snatched up quick. Therefore it's important I do some pre-season planning and it just so happens that social functions like these are great opportunities for that." Narcissa explained, not for the first time. "I just need to check my hair…"

Narcissa, now dressed, walked back over to the mirror and touched up her hair and face for most likely the seventeenth time, and then, finally happy with her appearance walked back to her sisters, a smile on her face.

"All good to go then, let's head out before Bellatrix has a heart attack." She said with a giggle, leading the way to the door. "I don't know why you always get so worked up about these things Bella, they're supposed to be fun."

"It'd be a bit more fun if the whole event weren't about Slughorn showing off his previous pupils, even after we graduate he's going to have us coming back, showing us off. The least he could do is serve some alcohol so the time goes by faster." Bellatrix remarked.

"You act like a grump, but I know deep down you find these things fun. You and Andy are always off in the corner having a laugh." Narcissa said. "Besides, don't act like you don't have alcohol on your person, the Bella I know always comes prepared."

"I don't think she's complaining about the lack of alcohol, more the indecency of making her provide it rather than having it there." Andromeda provided with a laugh.

"Yes, exactly! It's the rudeness of the whole thing!" Bellatrix declared.

"Well, I think he'd get in trouble for serving alcohol to students most likely, especially minors." Narcissa pointed out with a shake of her head.

"So you're to blame then are you?" Bellatrix joked with a laugh.

Andromeda smiled as her sisters and her headed towards the classroom where Slughorn held the party every year. She had missed the ease at which a conversation came to them over the past few months, how careless and light hearted it was just to talk about something as meaningless as Slughorn's parties. She hadn't realized it until she was given the taste of normalcy, but she had truly missed it.

The past few months had been complete hell between her and Bellatrix, fighting and making up and fighting again. She wasn't sure if it was her fault or Bellatrix's. The problems seemed to have arisen around the time that Bellatrix had joined the Knights of Walpurgis, that was at least when the fissures in their close relationship had begun, but hadn't Andromeda just made it worse with how vocal she'd been about muggle-borns? This was what had caused her to be afraid to change her mind in the first place.

Bellatrix had been her best friend, her only friend really, for her whole life and Andromeda couldn't afford to lose that. It was impossible though, they couldn't remain friends now, or at least they couldn't be as close as they once were. Bellatrix had made it clear what her views on muggle-borns were and what her views on Andromeda not acting like a good and proper Black were. It was sad, knowing that an end was coming, but Andromeda could try and put it off. They didn't have to stop being friends. They were sisters, and sisters were forever.

Andromeda shook her head, trying to get the thoughts to disappear. They were fine. They had had some fights but Andromeda knew to keep her mouth shut when Bellatrix got anti-muggle-born. They might not be as close, but they would be fine, and she could enjoy the time they had as long as they had it. Smiling as Bellatrix teased Narcissa about how long she took to get ready and how much she cared about her appearance Andromeda resolved to stop worrying about the future. She would enjoy today, as enjoyable as a Slug Club party could be, and she would get well pissed with Bellatrix as they always did and she'd have fun.

Even if she was straying away, that didn't mean she had to split from her family, they could be as close as ever. They didn't have to know, she wouldn't tell them, and most of all she would enjoy their company. First and foremost though, she would enjoy the Christmas Party, and the only way Andromeda had been able to do that was stick with Bellatrix and get good and properly drunk.

* * *

><p>Andromeda chewed her lip as Bellatrix continued to talk to some random member of the Knights of Walpurgis. She had said she'd only be a moment, a quick chat, but it had already been about twenty minutes and Andromeda was bored. Glancing around for someone to talk to, which was usually impossible to find as Andromeda was quite antisocial, Andromeda spotted some familiar faces by the drinks.<p>

"I'm going to go get a drink." She told Bellatrix, who wasn't listening anyways, before heading off.

"Andromeda Black! Fancy seeing you here!" Hestia exclaimed as soon as she noted Andromeda pouring herself a drink. "And fully clothed this time."

"What?" The girl next to Hestia asked, a girl who looked rather familiar to Andromeda, coughing up some of her own drink. "Fully clothed?"

"I like how you hinge on the fully clothed bit but not the 'I know Andromeda Black' bit." Hestia pointed out with a laugh. "Don't worry dear, it was just pajamas. Nothing happened."

The girl gave Hestia a look which contained a variety of meanings, most importantly that nothing had better of happened.

"Hullo." Andromeda interrupted, not fond of the idea of watching someone else have a conversation without her. "I didn't think you were in the Slug Club?"

"I am. Hestia's my date." The girl answered for Hestia. "I'm sorry but, when did you two even meet?"

"Around." Andromeda and Hestia both said with a shrug.

"I know you right?" Andromeda asked the girl, who did not seem content with this answer. "I feel like I've met you before."

"Once. I'm not surprised you don't remember. It was a bit…dramatic." The girl informed her with a smile.

"I didn't know you guys had met! Why didn't you tell me!?" Hestia interjected glancing at the girl. "Andromeda, this is my friend Charity. The one I was visiting."

Andromeda peered at Charity for a moment trying to place her in all the people she had ever met.

"It's on the tip of my tongue I swear." She muttered, running through possible situations they could have met.

"Charity Burbage." Charity introduced herself with a smile. "Muggle-born."

"Charity Burbage…" Andromeda repeated, mulling over the name before it finally dawned on her. "Oh. _Oh! _Shit! Sorry!"

"Okay what the heck happened?" Hestia inquired at Andromeda's reaction.

"I am so sorry you had to witness that. I'm also sorry for being a bit of a bigoted prick. Sorry for swearing too. I'm just sorry." Andromeda rambled as Charity came back to her. "Blacks don't apologize, what am I doing? Okay. Well listen, I mean, Ted and I get like that I feel bad you got dragged into the middle of it, you seemed really nice and-."

"Wait, wait, wait." Hestia stated, cutting her off. "Ted? As in Ted Tonks? You know Ted Tonks too?"

"Yeah, he's the one I was talking about in the kitchens when-." Andromeda started to explain.

"Wait! When were you two in the kitchens? When did you even meet? Why were you talking about Ted?" Charity interrupted, trying to get answers of her own.

"We weren't really talking about Ted he just came up because he had to do with what we were talking about in the kitchens." Andromeda explained, without answering any of Charity's questions.

"But what were you discussing? _Why_ were you discussing?" Charity continued.

"I'm sorry but, _you _know Ted Tonks? And you already have a 'way' because you said to Charity that you and Ted could be like that sometimes and when did you and Charity even meet? When did you and Ted meet?" Hestia plowed over Charity.

"We're both prefects. We patrol together. It's not that big of a deal." Andromeda answered.

"Like hell it isn't!" Charity and Hestia remarked at the same time.

"Tell me when you two met!" Hestia ordered, pointing between Charity and Andromeda.

"We met when Ted got us all kicked out of class by being his usual self, and then he and Andromeda got in this fight." Charity explained. "It was all very confusing, I was just minding my own business and suddenly there was all this yelling and a Black talking to Ted. To be honest I thought I'd dreamed it maybe."

"You're chummy enough with Ted that he's getting you kicked out of class? I'm sorry but this is more than just patrolling together." Hestia inserted.

"When did you two meet?" Charity asked.

"I was in the kitchens after visiting you because I couldn't sleep and Andromeda was there and we got to talking." Hestia answered with a shrug.

"But why were you there?" Charity inquired, looking at Andromeda.

"I couldn't sleep due to the overpowering logic of Ted's argument from one of our patrols and so I went to get something to eat, where I met Hestia and we discussed said argument." Andromeda said with a sigh. "Are we all caught up now?"

"But are you two friends?" Hestia asked, eyes wide.

"Who?" Andromeda replied.

"You and Ted. Duh. Are you friends?"

Andromeda shrugged noncommittally.

"That's not an answer."

"That's the best answer I can give you." Andromeda said.

"I'm going to have to have a talk with Ted about all this." Hestia decided. "He'll tell me if you're friends or not."

"Please inform me when you find out because I honestly have no clue." Andromeda stated wryly. "Speaking of people we all happen to know, I feel like I ought to tell you guys I'm friends with Xenophilius as well, in case if that's another bombshell. Are you guys friends with him as well?"

"You're friends with Xenophilius too!?" Charity exclaimed.

"Well. That decides it then. Since you already know everyone, you have to come to Charity's New Year's Party." Hestia said.

"It's rude to invite other people to someone's party." Andromeda pointed out, her society training kicking in.

"Bah, you don't mind do you Charity?" Hestia replied.

"It could be fun." Charity agreed with a shrug. "You'll obviously know people there."

"I don't think I'd be able to make it honestly." Andromeda said a bit regretful. "Every year there's this New Year's Ball thing at my house and it's expected I go. Your party sounds a far cry more exciting though."

"So make an appearance then ditch." Hestia suggested with a shrug, causing Andromeda to choke on her drink.

"Ditch? I don't think you've ever been to a pureblood ball. One does not simply 'ditch', particularly when one has a fiancée who enjoys groping them for most of the night." Andromeda explained, perhaps a bit bitter.

"I haven't actually been to a pureblood ball surprisingly enough." Hestia joked. "That sounds like a splendid time though. Much better than some lousy unchaperoned party with, apparently, all your friends."

"It's the highlight of my year." Andromeda bit sarcastically.

"Well, the offer still stands, if you're feeling up to playing hooky." Charity said with a smile, before a frown over took her face. "Your sister is heading this way I feel like we should probably make ourselves scarce?"

"Unless if you want to be told how inferior you are, probably." Andromeda agreed with a grimace, waving as inconspicuously as possible as they headed off.

"What was that about?" Bellatrix asked as soon as she was close enough to be heard.

"They were just blocking the drink I wanted." Andromeda answered with a shrug. "I got them to get out of the way though."

Bellatrix smiled as Andromeda poured the drinking Charity and Hestia had been blocking, even though she didn't want it at all.

"I'm glad you put that whole weird Mudblood loving phase behind you." Bellatrix said, putting an arm around Andromeda's shoulder. "This is so much better isn't it?"

"Yes…" Andromeda agreed half-heartedly.

* * *

><p>It was finally winter break which for most people was a time of excitement and joy, a break from the humdrum of school and the piles and piles of work. Normally the students of Hogwarts looked forward to their winter break and the fun times of Christmas, but some people did not look forward to their winter breaks. Specifically, the Black sisters, and more specifically, Andromeda Black.<p>

Druella Black was a bit overbearing, and extremely critical. It had always been, for whatever reason, that she was most critical of her middle child Andromeda, although she was rather harsh on her eldest daughter Bellatrix, as well. Andromeda had not been looking forward to the winter break as she knew she would be submersed in the traditional pureblood values and as extremist as her sister Bellatrix could be, she was nothing in comparison to her parents, particularly her mother.

Andromeda loved her father, Cygnus, who was an extremely intelligent man and was much more subdued in expressing his beliefs, although they were there, simply discussed behind closed doors after dinner than in the open like Andromeda's mother, Druella, preferred. Druella was not a very secretive person, if she hated someone, they knew, and if someone even mentioned muggle-borns in front of her she would go on a bigoted rampage.

It was inevitable that Andromeda's less than faithful semester would have found its way to Druella's ears and Andromeda was not looking forward to it.

The Black sisters stepped onto the train platform and looked around for their house elf who would be waiting to take them home. Cygnus would be at work until dinner, perhaps later, and Druella, a proper pureblood lady who followed the latest fashions would be out shopping, perhaps a lunch with another lady, looking for new antiques and curtains, and therefore would not be there to pick them up.

It was up to the house elf, therefore, to apparate them from the platform to their home, with the exception of Bellatrix who, now seventeen, could apparate herself.

"I'll see you guys at home." Bellatrix stated, collecting her things and apparating out of there.

"We best go find Shenny." Andromeda said to Narcissa, collecting their trunks and scanning the crowds for the house elf. "The trouble with house elves is they are considerably shorter than everyone else and therefore hard to find in crowds."

Receiving no response from Narcissa, Andromeda turned to find that she had already scampered off to one of her friends discussing whatever it was they discussed, clearly expecting that Shenny would find her rather than the other way around.

"Or I could just stand here talking to myself as both of my sisters ditch me." She muttered to herself. "I really need to get some suitable friends…"

"Aren't you friends with that Persimmon chick?"

"Merlin's pants!" Andromeda yelped, jumping slightly at the interruption of her soliloquy. "I didn't notice you there."

"I've found it's hard to notice other people when you're busy talking to yourself." Ted teased.

"Ha. Ha." Andromeda deadpanned rolling her eyes. "I haven't talked to Persimmon in months. Not since that fight, I don't think anyone has talked to her actually."

Ted sent her a very disproving look.

"What? You don't mess with a Black. She knew that." Andromeda defended.

Ted did not waver.

"What? She did it to herself, it's not my fault if the entire student body agreed with the fact she was out of hand."

If possible, Ted looked even more disapproving.

"What?! Do you expect me to just go talk to her now?" Andromeda said, beginning to slip in her resolve. "She probably already left you know, the Notts aren't ones to wait around when they're not wanted."

This comment did not help to appease Ted's disapproval.

"She's right over there." He pointed out, gesturing to where Persimmon was waiting to be picked up, having failed her apparition test.

Andromeda glanced at Persimmon and then back at Ted, chewing her lip.

"She probably doesn't even want to talk to me. We are a very prideful sort." She stated, trying to get Ted to understand.

It was unsuccessful.

"I'm not even supposed to be talking to you!" She snubbed, hoping he'd at least go away.

"You're right you should be talking to Persimmon." Ted agreed.

Andromeda sent him a glare, trying to scare him into leaving her alone. Ted's resolve, however, was astounding.

"Fine!" Andromeda exclaimed, shooting one last glare at Ted. "I'll go talk to Persimmon."

Ted smiled smugly as Andromeda stomped off, in the most lady-like manner, to go apologize to Persimmon.

"Persimmon." She said as soon as she was in ear shot.

"Andromeda." Persimmon greeted coldly. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted you to know that I'm over our little scuffle. It was stupid and you've probably learned your lesson by now. I'll make sure you're back in the social circles by Christmas." Andromeda explained quickly.

"You're forgiving me?" Persimmon asked in shock. "Blacks don't forgive."

"It's too much effort being hateful all the time. Besides, we have all these balls and societal events to attend and I'm going to need someone not horrible to talk to." Andromeda stated, playing herself up as was the Black's way. "As long as you don't ever do that again."

Persimmon squealed and gave Andromeda a big hug. Andromeda, a bit shocked and uncomfortable, patted her awkwardly in reply. Persimmon pulled away, gave Andromeda one last smile and then ran off, presumably to go home. Narcissa was at Andromeda's side in almost a second.

"Did Persimmon Nott just hug you?" She asked. "Are we talking to her again?"

"I've decided to move on. It was just a silly scuffle anyways and she knows never to do that again." Andromeda informed her sister, keeping her voice perfectly cold. "If you could be a dear and spread around it's acceptable to talk to her again, I told her she'd be reinstated by Christmas."

Narcissa, excited by being the bearer of news and therefore the centre of attention in the gossip chain, went off to go presumably spread the word at once, leaving Andromeda once again alone.

Andromeda walked back to her and Narcissa's trunk, which she had left by Ted when she'd been practically forced to forgive Persimmon, glancing around for their house elf as she went. Ted, who apparently had no desire to go home for break, was laughing at the awkward hug that had just transpired.

"Happy?" Andromeda demanded when she was close enough to not be overheard.

"The hug was the best. You're not much of a hugger, are you?" Ted laughed.

"Do I look like a hugger?" Andromeda remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you have to go home?"

"My mum is always at least twenty minutes late." Ted answered with a shrug. "Don't you?"

"Bellatrix already left and it's nearly impossible to find a house elf in this crowd. I don't really mind though and Narcissa seems fine with it too." Andromeda explained, glancing around again for the house elf.

"It's a good thing Bellatrix left." Ted observed.

"Why?"

"I don't think she'd take too kindly to you standing next to a muggle-born, let alone talking to one." He pointed out.

"Oh shit I completely forgot." Andromeda swore looking around to see if anyone was looking at them. "I am going to be in _so _much trouble. I just swore too, brilliant. My mother is going to kill me."

"I don't think anyone has noticed, don't worry. And I don't think your mother is going to find out you swore…" Ted soothed, patting her arm.

"Oh she'll know. She always knows. She has eyes everywhere." Andromeda stated. "Particularly that one over there."

"That's your sister. The nicer one at that."

"The nicer one that is mother's little girl. She won't mean anything by it but it'll come out." Andromeda explained, glancing suspiciously at her sister. "Come on."

"Isn't it supposed to be daddy's little girl?" Ted asked, following Andromeda as she headed towards the exit of the platform.

"No, mother's little girl. Narcissa is the perfect lady so she and my mother get on like girlfriends. They go antique shopping and follow up on all the gossip. It's weird." Andromeda answered.

"I guess I can see that looking at Narcissa. She looks like an antique-shopper." Ted agreed, making Andromeda laugh.

"What exactly does an 'antique-shopper' look like? I didn't realize there was a type."

"Like your sister logically." Ted stated with a laugh. "Where are we going?"

"No one is going to care if we're talking in regular King's Cross and I don't fancy standing around alone talking to myself while I wait for Shenny to make an appearance. You said your mother was going to be late anyways so we have time to kill." Andromeda explained as they neared the exit of the platform.

"Shenny?"

"Our house elf."

"Ah yes, of course. Our house elf would be here to pick me up but, you know, he's in the shop."

"What." Andromeda said laughing despite herself. "Is shop code for the fact that your house elf is a drunk and spends the whole time in the bar?"

"We try not to let people know because it wouldn't do well for our status if people knew our house elf was a drunkard." Ted mock-whispered. "You can't tell anyone or it would ruin us."

"Of course I wouldn't tell! I wouldn't want to be the reason the Tonks, the most prestigious family, was kicked out of society and shamed." Andromeda assured her hand to her chest in fake shock.

"Please, a Black like you? If the Tonks were shamed from the circles you Blacks would be on top. That's motive if I ever heard it." Ted scoffed.

"You have discovered my evil plan. I didn't think you'd realize I meant to exploit your alcoholic house elf to get my family on top." Andromeda gave in, snapping her fingers in despair.

"I see right through you, Andromeda Black." Ted said, wagging a finger in Andromeda's face.

"I'm sure you do." Andromeda said sarcastically. "There's a bench over there."

"Do you doubt my abilities?" Ted asked a look of shock on his face.

"Just sit on the bench Edward." Andromeda ordered with a roll of her eyes.

Ted made a face.

"You just had to go and ruin a perfectly pleasant afternoon by calling me Edward." He remarked, sitting on the bench.

"Whatever do you mean, Edward? It's your name isn't it?" Andromeda teased.

"My mum doesn't even call me Edward. Not even when she's cross with me."

"When my mother is cross with me she calls me an ungrateful waste of space. That or Andromeda Violetta Black."

"Your mum sounds like a lovely person. You must have so much fun at home." Ted observed.

"Usually it is. Mother isn't usually home so it works out well enough. When father is home she's much better, but he's rarely home because he basically runs the ministry." Andromeda said with a shrug. "What about you Edward? How's life at home?"

"I have four sisters and a younger brother. It's a big family but it's nice. My two older sisters are both married with children and they come home for Christmas so the house is always packed."

"That sounds nice." Andromeda said, almost to herself. "I have two younger cousins that come by for Christmas and they're both crazy. Regulus is always trying to be Sirius and Sirius basically lives to make his mother's life miserable."

"Does any pureblood have a normal name?" Ted asked with a laugh. "Andromeda, Bellatrix, Narcissa, Sirius, Regulus, that Persimmon girl. You realize there are normal names out there right? Do you guys have some ancient baby book or something?"

"You're just mad because you're stuck with the name Edward which almost every boy is named." Andromeda defended sticking her tongue out.

"I was just hoping I could get my hands on that book. I need a good name if I have kids." Ted stated with a teasing smile. "I'm not cursing anyone with the name Edward."

"I give you full permission to name your child Andromeda." Andromeda said mock-seriously, placing a hand on Ted's knee. "It not only will give her an eccentric name but also allows you to name your child after possibly the most influential person in your life."

"Most influential person, really?" Ted asked with a raised brow. "How exactly have you been so influential that you have earned the right to have me name my daughter after you?"

"I am hurt you even have to ask."

Ted raised his eyebrow.

"Fine. I revoke your right to name your child Andromeda, name her Nymphadora for all I care." Andromeda remarked, sticking her nose in the air.

"Maybe I will. Nymphadora is a much better name than Andromeda anyways."

"It's certainly a much longer name."

"By one letter."

"What are you going to call her as a nick name? Dora?" Andromeda inquired.

"Who says she'll have a nick name? Are you allowed to have nicknames when you have long names? As far as I know no one is allowed to call you anything but Andromeda."

"That's because nicknames for Andromeda are kind of tacky. You seem like a nick name person though Edward."

"If you're going to keep calling me Edward then I'm going to make up a nickname for you." Ted threatened.

"Go for it. I bet you can't."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

Andromeda and Ted glared at each other for a few seconds before breaking out in laughter.

"Andromeda, are you out here?" Narcissa called from the entrance to Platform 9 ¾ breaking up their laughter.

"I should go." Andromeda said regretfully, twiddling her hair. "If Narcissa catches us I'll be grounded for the whole break."

"Well we wouldn't want that." Ted joked as Andromeda got up and collected her stuff.

"Sorry." She said, biting her lip before scurrying off to go meet up with Narcissa.

* * *

><p>Regardless of their late departure from King's Cross Narcissa and Andromeda still made it home before their mother and therefore had a few moments to settle in. Andromeda brought her trunk upstairs, excited to sleep in her own bed once again, if only for two weeks, and opened the door to find her room mostly untouched. Besides the obvious signs that Shenny had been in to clean up and do some dusting it was clear that no one had set foot in the room since Andromeda had left in September. Her mother and father certainly did not go walking about in their children's rooms.<p>

Not caring about unpacking her trunk, although she knew her mother would give her a hard time about it when she got home as the first thing a lady did was unpack, Andromeda dropped herself onto her bed, enjoying the soft mattress which was no comparison to the hard beds at Hogwarts. She kicked off her shoes, if only for a moment because one was not barefoot indoors, and spread herself across the bed, enjoying the comfort.

"Shenny!" She called, turning her face out of the bed.

"Yes, miss?" Shenny asked appearing almost instantly.

"Will you make me some tea and scones please? It's been ages since the train ride."

"At once. I will tell you when it is done so you can eat it in the dining room."

"Thank you, Shenny." Andromeda said as Shenny disapparated to the kitchen.

Andromeda had a few more moments of piece before she heard the door downstairs open and close. She groaned in expectation as she heard her mother inquire about whether her daughters were home yet to one of the house elves. Within a few seconds said house elf was in Andromeda's room telling her that her mother wished to see her at once in the lounge.

With her moment of peace over Andromeda reluctantly got up and checked herself over in the mirror before heading down the stairs, running into Bellatrix and Narcissa along the way.

"Are you ready to hear how horrible we look?" She muttered to Bellatrix as they headed down.

"I bet she tells me that I am in need of a haircut and you that you eat too much." Bellatrix replied.

"Well she does tell us that basically every time she sees us." Andromeda agreed. "I guess that means no sweets or pastries for me."

"Oh definitely not, you'll be on a diet until we go back."

"She's going to make you get a horrid hair cut like one of the ones in her witch society magazines."

"Those always look so splendid on me don't they?" Bellatrix inquired.

"At least you can magically grow yours back out, I'm going to be stuck starving to death for two weeks."

"Dears." Druella Black greeted once the three had walked into the lounge. "How was your train ride?"

"It was great mother. How was shopping? Did you find anything?" Narcissa asked politely, smiling.

"Oh yes, dear. I found some great antiques while I was out. I will show you after dinner tonight." Druella said. "Now then, line up let me have a look at you."

Andromeda tried not to let a sigh escape her lips as she slipped in between Bellatrix and Narcissa, as was customary. She made sure she wasn't slouching as her mother gestured with her finger for each of them to turn around, a calculating eye looking for any flaws.

"Bellatrix, I see you are still in need of a haircut." She said almost at once, making Bellatrix smirk at Andromeda. "Besides that you are looking quite all right, despite a bit of messiness, do pull yourself together dear. I see some wrinkles in that dress."

"Yes mother." Bellatrix said, knowing it wasn't worth arguing.

"Andromeda." Druella stated as Andromeda steeled herself for the onslaught that was coming. "Have you been going in for second dinners? We'll have to be restricting your eating once again, I see. Your skirt also looks a bit short, don't you think? Are you whoring yourself out to the boy's at Hogwarts? We'll have to go to Diagon Alley and have some length added to them. You must have grown some more, as though you weren't tall enough already."

"Yes mother." Andromeda said, almost through her teeth.

There was no one who could ruin Andromeda's self-esteem faster than her mother.

"Narcissa, dear." Druella said a slight smile on her face. "We ought to take you in for a trim and perhaps get you some new clothes."

"Yes mother." Narcissa said, the only one of the three girls smiling.

"Now then, we will be having afternoon tea with the Rosiers tomorrow, so make sure that you all pick out something nice and respectable. The Christmas Ball at the Malfoy's is also coming up so we ought to make a trip to Diagon Alley to pick up your gowns and get final fittings, we can get your skirts taken down while we're there Andromeda and get you some new clothes Narcissa."

"Yes mother." All three girls chorused.

Mrs. Black waved them off and Andromeda gladly retreated to her room, away from her mother's judgmental eyes.

* * *

><p>The next day Andromeda woke up and got ready, not looking forward to it in the least. She put on a white dress that was socially expected for tea and headed downstairs to eat breakfast, or rather as the case may be, lunch.<p>

"Andromeda have you been sleeping this whole time?" Mrs. Black chastised as Andromeda walked into the room. "That is rather unseemly."

"Sorry mother." Andromeda apologized, sitting down as Twixie, another of their house elves, placed a bowl of oatmeal in front of her. "It was just nice to be in my own bed again."

"Luckily we did not have any social engagements this morning." Mrs. Black said. "Your sister Narcissa and I went to Diagon Alley for shoes. I trust you didn't need anything."

"No. Did you take my skirts to be hemmed?" Andromeda inquired politely, taking a lady-like bite of her oatmeal and wondering why her mother went to Diagon Alley so much.

She did not quite understand the fascination, her mother had already decided they would all be going to get dresses fitted and yet she still took Narcissa to get new shoes, which Andromeda was well aware that Narcissa did not actually need. It was clear who the favorite was, as Andromeda was aware she wouldn't get new shoes even if she asked while they were already out.

"No, they will need to measure for that to be done properly. Besides, we discussed having that done when we go in for the gown fittings." Mrs. Black answered in a condescending tone as if expecting Andromeda had forgotten.

They sat in silence as Andromeda ate, Mrs. Black watching her obviously, observing if her daughter recalled how to eat like a proper lady, and Andromeda felt incredibly uncomfortable as she took the smallest spoonful's possible.

"I will let you eat. Don't forget we have tea later." Mrs. Black finally said to Andromeda's relief, rising from the table before looking at Andromeda in disgust. "Is that what you are planning to wear?"

"Yes?" Andromeda asked feeling even more self-conscious than before.

"It is a good thing we have already picked out your gown to the Malfoy Ball." Mrs. Black said, more to herself than to Andromeda.

Andromeda watched her mother walk out of the dining room, waiting for her to exit before slouching and placing her arm on the table to lean against. This was going to be a long holiday.


	8. Chapter Eight

Arriving at the Rosier's, Andromeda worried her lips receiving a sharp flare from her mother telling her to cease at once.

"I cannot believe you didn't change." Mrs. Black said giving her a once over again and wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"It's just the Rosier's, mother." Andromeda said tiredly, not wanting to deal with more critiques.

"Hello! How are you Druella?" Mrs. Rosier, Mrs. Black's sister-in-law asked. "Do come in."

"I'm quite well, Gertrude, much better now that my girls are home." Druella answered fakely, walking inside followed by her daughters. "How are you?"

"I'm well also the house is much more alive with Evan and Martha around." Gertrude answered leading them into the dining room.

The two older women chatted amiably about décor and the newest fashions in Diagon Alley, as the three girls took seats across from their cousins who were already at the table, looking as unwilling to be there as they were.

"Hello." Narcissa greeted amiably smiling at Martha and Evan.

"Hello Narcissa, how are you?" Martha asked smiling at her favorite cousin in return.

As Narcissa and Martha chatted about hair and boys Andromeda returned the glare that Evan was shooting her over the scones.

"Martha, you're taking your OWLs this year aren't you?" Mrs. Black asked sitting down at the table and interrupting Martha and Narcissa's conversation.

"Yes, I'm a little nervous." Martha admitted smiling as she sipped the tea their house elf had recently poured.

"Ah yes, Andromeda took her's last year and I remember you were a bucket of nerves, weren't you Andromeda?" Mrs. Black commented smiling at her middle daughter.

"Not really." Andromeda muttered grabbing a biscuit and receiving a look from her mother.

"Do not mutter dear, it is unbecoming." Mrs. Black scolded before turning back to Martha. "She did extremely well, of course, almost all O's on everything."

"Evan did really well on his OWLs too." Mrs. Rosier chimed in smiling at her son.

"Yes, especially in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms. You must have done well on those two as well Andromeda." Evan bit smirking at her in a rather cruel manner.

"You would be right in that assumption. I'm surprised you did well in Defense Against the Dark Arts though." Andromeda cut back putting emphasis on the defense portion.

"What are you two talking about?" Mrs. Black asked, unappreciative of her daughter acting in such a boisterous manner.

"You don't know? Andromeda attacked me at school." Evan asked snidely as Andromeda's mouth hung open in outrage.

"I was not. You were fighting other students and out after curfew. Not to mention that you attacked me first." Andromeda cried glaring at her cousin.

"Only because you were petrifying my friends." Evan defended angrily. "Not to mention the kids I was fighting were Mudbloods."

"Considering none of you were listening to me I didn't have a choice." Andromeda yelled in response, getting up and glaring at him. "Not to mention that it's muggle-born, they are fucking people you ignorant tw-."

"Andromeda!" Mrs. Black chastised as the rest of the room gasped in shock. "May I speak to you in the other room?"

Andromeda got up reluctantly, shooting Evan one last dirty look before following her mother out of the room.

"You have crossed the line, you are lucky it was only in front of your cousins and sisters, however we will be having a serious discussion when I get home. You will be leaving now." Mrs. Black ordered hissing in an undertone so as not to be heard.

"How?" Andromeda asked glad her punishment was postponed.

"You can take the Knight Bus like a commoner because you are not fit to carry the Black name at this moment." Mrs. Black told her before turning around and walking into the parlor. "I'm sorry, I've just remembered my in-laws are coming over and I've sent Andromeda home to greet them."

Andromeda rolled her eyes and walked out the door, glad to be free of the social confines of the tea party, but upset at missing out on the scones and biscuits which had looked delicious. She stuck her wand out to signal the Knight Bus and requested to be taken to the Black estate. In a few nausea induced moments she was home.

She found, however, that she wasn't ready to go home and be the perfect little daughter who did exactly what her mother wanted. As was apt to happen when Andromeda was feeling vindictive and blamed for no reason, she began to hatch a plan, a perfectly passive-aggressive plan to subtly undermine whomever it was who had punished her unjustly. Heading upstairs Andromeda grabbed all her skirts and dresses, before grabbing the floo powder off of the mantelpiece and yelling, quite clearly, "Diagon Alley".

Upon her arrival Andromeda headed to the Second Hand Robe shop, a devious smile on her face. She opened the door to the shop and found, to her delight, the store was relatively empty.

"How may I help you dear?" The kindly witch asked as soon as she saw Andromeda enter.

"I need all these skirts taken up two inches, please." Andromeda answered, holding out the pile of skirts and dresses she had brought with her.

"Are you sure?" She asked glancing from the skirts to Andromeda and back again.

"Yes please." Andromeda assured, smiling at the lady. "When should I expect them to be done?"

"Well, miss, it's a rather slow day I figure I can have 'em done in two hours, probably." She decided, taking the skirts out of Andromeda's arms.

"Excellent, thank you." Andromeda said with a smile, before walking out of the shop.

She figured that as long as she was in Diagon Alley and starving she might as well stop at Fortescue's for some ice cream, so she made her way along, smiling to herself as she imagined her mother's reaction.

Sitting at a table on the inside, as it was cold outside, Andromeda licked away happily at her ice cream, aware that after this outing she would be on permanent lockdown for the rest of holidays. Perhaps she ought to go do her Christmas shopping.

"Andromeda?" A voice called, breaking Andromeda out of her mental list of who she had to buy Christmas presents for.

"Molly?" Andromeda asked, startled. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting ice cream." Molly answered. "And finishing up some last minute Christmas shopping. You?"

"Same. That and I had to have some clothes altered." Andromeda informed her.

"Well, as long as we're both doing Christmas shopping, suppose we do it together?" Molly inquired, biting her lip.

"Pardon?" Andromeda asked, surprised.

"Christmas shopping, we both have to do ours so we might as well accompany each other." Molly restated.

"Yes, I gathered that bit. I'm just confused as I assumed you hated me." Andromeda explained, rolling her eyes.

"I don't hate you. I don't necessarily agree with your family's ideals, but from my understanding you don't either, so in my book that makes you quite all right." Molly explained uncomfortably.

Andromeda raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I suppose I'll join you in shopping, if only because I'm curious what changed your mind about me. At the start of this year you couldn't stand me." Andromeda agreed, getting up and walking with Molly towards the door. "I need to go to the pet shop to get something for Xenophilius."

"All right." Molly agreed as the headed towards said shop. "That's just it though, isn't it? That's why I started to realize my first impression might have been wrong, as far as I can tell you're friendly with Xenophilius Lovegood, Hestia Jones, Charity Burbage, and Ted Tonks. That's not exactly the crowd a regular Black would talk to."

"Fair enough." Andromeda said reluctantly. "It's not all that obvious, is it? I have a reputation to up hold."

"No, you don't have to worry about your sisters finding out. It's only obvious to me because that just so happens to be the crowd I hang out with." Molly assured with a roll of her eyes. "If I'm being completely honest, then I realized there was more to you than met the eye when Arthur told me what you said. It was pretty easy to see you weren't completely gung-ho anti-muggle-born when we patrolled together too, mind. "

"What?" Andromeda asked whirling around, right outside the door. "He what? We had a deal. I am going to kill him."

"Hey, hey, hey that's my boyfriend you're threatening." Molly joked. "To be fair though, he told me before you told him not to tell anyone, so he didn't technically break your deal. So no killing allowed."

"He didn't exactly tell me he told someone." Andromeda argued, still quite angry at the betrayal.

"You never asked." Molly pointed out with a shrug. "He swore me to secrecy as soon as you told him not to tell. Neither of us has told since."

"If he thinks I'm still going to owe him a favour, he is sorely mistaken." Andromeda muttered to herself as they headed into the store.

"Any favour owing is between you and him, I couldn't care either way?" Molly said as they walked about the store. "What are you going to get Xenophilius then?"

"I was thinking of a fire-crab. It seems like the sort of the thing he would love." Andromeda answered, heading to where the fire-crabs were located.

* * *

><p>Andromeda wandered through the fireplace a few hours later and found she had still managed to beat her mother and sisters home. She smirked to herself and placed her bags upstairs, before heading to get a snack from the kitchen while one of the house elves wasn't looking, her mother had expressively forbidden the house elves from giving her extra food.<p>

The problem was, of course, that they had five house elves and one of them always seemed to be in the kitchen, and they didn't much like Andromeda, or any of the Blacks, being in the kitchen. Andromeda twisted her mouth in thought, trying to devise a way to get into the fridge and out again without being caught, but nothing seemed to come to mind. She stood there, in the doorway, hands on hips and mouth twisted in thought, for a few minutes. Just as a plan began to form in her mind, she heard the front door open and she silently cursed as her window of opportunity closed.

She made her way to the foyer, so as not to be caught by her mother near the kitchens, aware her mother would be wise to what she had been doing over there, and smiled when she saw her family walk through the door.

"How was tea?" She asked pleasantly.

"It was quite enjoyable." Mrs. Black answered. "It was very _civil_."

"That's wonderful!" Andromeda chirped. "I always find tea is so much better when it's civil. I rarely bother to stick around for uncivil teas. They just aren't worth the time I find."

"Don't be smart." Mrs. Black ordered. "You are still in trouble we will discuss this in the parlor."

Andromeda followed her mother into the parlor, making at face at Bellatrix on her way, who only glowered in response, Narcissa seemed slightly more worried and forgiving. Andromeda supposed you couldn't please everyone.

"Andromeda Black, I hope you realize the way you behaved at tea was completely inappropriate." Mrs. Black began, crossing her arms and glaring at her daughter.

"You have made it incredibly evident." Andromeda drawled, examining her finger nails.

"I've already told you once not to be smart." Mrs. Black ordered, fire in her eyes, and Andromeda assumed she probably ought to listen. "Now then, I suppose there's no point attempting to impress upon you the inappropriateness of your actions as you never seem to learn anyways, so I will go right to the punishments and hope you learn your lesson that way."

Mrs. Black rubbed the bridge of her nose, as if punishing her daughter was not one of her favorite past times, although it was quite possible it was. Mrs. Black was the sort of woman who liked to be in control, and although she found Andromeda's little explosion at tea embarrassing, she enjoyed the opportunity to once again push her daughter under her thumb.

"You will not be allowed to leave this house except for social events that you have to go to for the rest of this holiday. This means no going out with your friends or traipsing off with your sisters when they go to Diagon Alley." Mrs. Black started a cruel smile on her lips that was lost on Andromeda who figured she didn't have friends to hang out with anyways. "Of course, you will be meeting up with your old friend, writing lines. I believe you know the sort I mean. You'll be writing 'I will not use offensive words' and 'I will not be smart with people' one hundred times each for the next week. Satisfactory?"

"Yes, mother." Andromeda agreed nodding her head.

"Very well then. You may be excused."

Andromeda walked out of the room and upstairs to her own room, where she was quite certain she'd be spending the rest of her holiday. She collapsed on her bed, kicking off her shoes, and waited for her father to get home, aware her mother would not make a mention of her actions at tea as she felt she had been thoroughly disciplined. This was good as there was really only one thing that could make Andromeda feel ashamed of her actions, and that was the disappointed look her father would give her over dinner.

* * *

><p>Andromeda found herself back in Diagon Alley, wishing she could slouch as she walked behind her mother and sister who were prattling on about something or other, but aware that if she slouched forward even a centimeter her mother would have her walking around with a board strapped to her back and a book on her head for three hours each day. Usually Andromeda would have joked around with Bellatrix, but she had been distant and angry since the tea incident a few days past and Andromeda was more confused than worried. Surely if Bellatrix had been truly enraged by the muggle-born comment, which she would have been given previous experience, she would have exploded as she had of recent.<p>

In general, life was rotten. Andromeda was seriously reconsidering her choice to go home for Christmas, although it wasn't much of a choice, a Black not being present at the Christmas and New Year's ball would have been an insult to all in attendance and certainly noticed. Andromeda was very much aware that not five months ago she had thought being a Black was the best thing in the world and she found she couldn't help but blame Ted Tonks for the dissatisfaction she was feeling in her life at the moment. In a way it was his fault after all.

"We're here for the girls' final fittings." Mrs. Black declared to Madame Malkin, to Andromeda's surprise.

Apparently she had completely zoned out in her very poignant hatred for not only her life but also Ted Tonks for causing said hatred, that she had missed them arriving and entering Madame Malkin's.

"Ah yes, Mrs. Black, we have the three dresses right here. We'll take you in right away." Madame Malkin declared showing Mrs. Black the dresses. "Will you need anything else?"

Here Andromeda watched as Madame Malkin glanced at the pile of skirts and dresses in Andromeda's arms, who had been stuck with carrying them as they were her's. Andromeda smiled to herself.

"Yes. We need all of those skirts taken down exactly two inches please." Mrs. Black ordered.

"Right away Mrs. Black." Madame Malkin said, taking the skirts and handing them to an assistant. "I'll fit the girls myself."

Andromeda pulled on the dress robes that her mother had picked out for the Malfoy ball, a burgundy number. As much as Andromeda wanted to hate it she couldn't. Her mother, despite herself, had exceptional taste and burgundy _was_ Andromeda's favourite color. The only issue was that Andromeda had grown an inch or two since the last fitting, and the dress was a bit loose, as though Andromeda had lost weight, even if her mother disagreed.

Narcissa, of course, looked perfect in blue dress robes that brought out her eyes beautifully and fit her exquisitely. Narcissa had been trusted to pick out her own dress robes, and once again had proven to be quite good at it. Bellatrix was in black dress robes, as if she would have picked out anything else, and had refused to get the ones her mother had initially picked out, they had finally compromised on the ones she was wearing. Bellatrix had never been afraid to stand up to their mother.

"All right then, we'll take in Andromeda's in a bit and down two inches, and take Bellatrix's up a bit in the bust." Madame Malkin declared after finishing up her measurements. "I'll have them done in a day, along with the dresses and skirts."

Andromeda raised an eyebrow at this, aware the second hand shop that her mother refused to be seen in had taken only two hours to take up her own skirts, and they had done a great job. Aware that there would be no upside to mentioning this curious mismanagement of time, Andromeda kept her mouth shut. She made a mental note, however, that when she was older it would perhaps be wiser to go to the second hand shop, even if it was below her reputation.

The three Black sisters stood near the door as Mrs. Black made the arrangements for one of the house elves to pick up the dress robes and skirts tomorrow. Andromeda stared out the window, contemplating what to do when she got home. She had already finished the homework that had been assigned over holidays and exhausted most of her book collection. Perhaps she could talk her father into letting her into his private library, as her mother certainly wouldn't let her stop at Flourish and Blott's for some new reading material.

"All right then girls," Mrs. Black declared coming over, "That's that, back home with you, Narcissa and I shall make a round of the shops. Care to join us Bellatrix?"

Bellatrix scoffed and walked outside to apparate home, making it evident what she thought of her mother's sort of shopping. Andromeda, aware she would not be invited as she was still grounded, said her goodbyes and headed back to Diagon Alley to make her way home. Were it not for the fact that her mother and Narcissa would be shopping in Diagon Alley for the day Andromeda would have slipped into Flourish and Blott's to pick up some new reading material, but it was too risky.

She arrived back at the Leaky Cauldron, and made her way to the fireplace, fully prepared to floo home and spend the rest of her holidays in boredom when someone entered the bar and caught her eye. It was much less the person entering that caught her eye, but the way in which they entered, walking through the door to what she assumed was muggle London, although she had never been allowed to enter herself.

Andromeda raised an eyebrow in thought, she certainly wouldn't get caught in muggle London, her mother wouldn't be caught dead there. There were many means to get home besides reentering the Leaky Cauldron, although Andromeda was quite sure that her mother would prefer to apparate home rather than enter the less than sanitary place. Glancing at her watch Andromeda figured she had about two hours, more than she was sure she would need, and took a hesitant step towards the door. She paused for a second and gave herself a once over to ensure she was in muggle suitable clothes, she luckily was wearing a simple dress and pea coat, a practical outfit her mother had approved of.

She rattled her purse and realized she had only galleons, which she was aware muggles did not use. She couldn't risk going to Gringott's however, and for a second her adventure seemed to be at an end before it even began, before she remembered a random tidbit she had read in the Daily Prophet a few years back, something about the Leaky Cauldron now offering conversions for convenience for an extra fee. As far as Andromeda was aware a small fee didn't seem like that much for a Black and she walked to the bartender.

"Pardon me?" She inquired stopping in front of the cash register.

"Can I help you?" The bartender asked a man Andromeda assumed was the proprietor, Tom.

"You do money conversions, correct?" Andromeda asked, pulling out her wallet. "Can you convert these to muggle money for me please?"

"It'll be a galleon fee." He proclaimed, moving to take the money.

"That seems a tad high." Andromeda bit, a brow raised.

"It is what it is, lady, a man's gotta eat. You got a galleon or not?" He replied, holding out a hand.

"Don't think I don't know this isn't a complete robbery." Andromeda relented, handing the galleon over reluctantly.

Tom shrugged as if he didn't much care what she thought and handed the muggle cash in return. Andromeda took it and counted it out, pretending to know she knew the conversion rates, which she didn't. It seemed a fair amount and certainly enough to cover a few books at any rate, so she stuffed it in her wallet and with a polite thank you wandered out into muggle London.

It was less magnificent than she had expected. In a way she imagined it would be some mystical world, but it looked quite similar to Diagon Alley in building structure. There seemed to be large groups of people moving along and Andromeda was a bit overwhelmed for a moment, if only because she didn't know where anything was or in what direction to go. She twiddled a piece of hair and glanced back at the Leaky Cauldron to establish where it was in her building map of London.

She headed down the street glancing in shops and trying to find a sense of direction, unsure of where to go. She had not planned for having to find the shop and she glanced at her watch to check the time, ensuring she still had more than enough. Giving up on her ability to find the shop on her own, it simply wasn't going to happen; Andromeda approached the nicest looking muggle and put on her best smile.

"Excuse me sir, could you point me towards the closest book shop?" She asked, making the man look up.

"Two blocks down and to the left." He answered, gesturing with his hand.

Andromeda thanked him and made her way to the shop, spotting it right away. She walked inside and smiled to herself as a small bell went off, muggles were so odd. She browsed through the shelves for a bit and somehow found herself in the 'classics' section. She riffled through a few of the books before pausing in front of one of the large tomes. Pulling it off the shelf she read the back and decided it was the kind of book she wanted, it was long and she felt in a way it was relevant to her life. Odd how a muggle author could relate to her so well.

She wandered to the front of the store and paid for the book to the best of her ability, despite not understanding how muggle money worked, and headed out of the door. She turned to head back to the Leaky Cauldron only to find that she had no idea which way the Leaky Cauldron was. Everything seemed to look the same and Andromeda was all turned around. She furrowed her brows and headed off in the direction she assumed she had come, except after two blocks she still recognized nothing, and unsure turned back around and walked back.

At some point she must have turned, because she could no longer find the book shop, and none of the signs or buildings seemed familiar, she glanced at her watch to check the time, and found to her relief she had an hour to find her way back. She could always take the Knight Bus back if it came down to it, but Bellatrix would notice that pulling up and Andromeda would rather not risk being caught. She twiddled a piece of hair and turned left on an impulse, hoping her instincts would lead her back to the Leaky Cauldron.

They were wrong. So incredibly wrong. Andromeda was more lost than before, and mortified. She had never been lost before; in fact she often prided herself on her sense of direction. Closing her eyes in the hopes that perhaps her other senses could lead her back, she was quite desperate at this point, Andromeda turned to the right and kept walking. She felt pretty confident for a while, perhaps because she couldn't see she was going in the wrong direction, until she ran into someone.

"Pardon me." She said almost instantly as she crashed into the person, eyes flying open as they both took a tumble to the ground, Andromeda falling backwards. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Sorry." He replied. "I tripped."

"I mean, I literally had my eyes closed it's probably entirely my fault." Andromeda continued, ignoring the stranger.

"My shoelace was untied, I'm extremely clumsy and I didn't notice, so it's really my fault." He prattled on.

"Are you okay?" A girl asked leaning over. "I'm sorry, my brother is a complete spaz, Ted I told you to be more careful."

Andromeda, who until previously had been apologizing profusely, in a manner unbecoming of a Black, and not been paying attention to who she had run into, suddenly turned to look at the person who she had run into and who was lying quite awkwardly on her.

"Oh for fuck's sake." Andromeda declared, slamming her head against the pavement in exasperation. "What are the chances?"

"Well of all the people to run into in London." Ted remarked with a laugh, moving to get up. "What are you doing here?"

"I was getting a book." Andromeda answered gesturing to the bag that was lying next to her on the sidewalk. "It's a long story."

"Wait, you two know each other?" The girl asked confusion etched on her face.

"Oh, right. Andromeda this is my sister Stephanie, Stephanie this is Andromeda." Ted introduced as he helped Andromeda up. "We go to school together."

"Nice to meet you." Andromeda said, shaking Stephanie's hand before dusting herself off.

"Wait, so if you go to school together then you're…?" Stephanie asked, lowering her voice as not to be overheard.

"Pardon?" Andromeda asked, bending over to pick up the bag with her book.

"You know…" She hinted, as discreetly as possible.

"Oh. Oh yes. I am. Sorry, I'm a bit out of it today." Andromeda answered.

"Did you hit your head? Is your vision blurry? Do you feel like you have a concussion?" Ted asked, waving a hand in front of Andromeda's eyes.

"I don't think so? Granted, I only vaguely recollect what a concussion feels like, but I do not think I am experiencing the same symptoms as I had before. I get the idea you are probably very familiar with the signs, however." Andromeda remarked with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh, no. Just as mean as ever. You're fine." Ted joked.

"So, wait." Stephanie cut in, excited and ignoring Andromeda's alleged head trauma. "Are you like Ted or…? I don't get how it works in your world."

Andromeda stood puzzled for a second as she tried to figure out what she meant.

"She means muggle-born." Ted supplied helpfully.

"Oh. Oh Godric no." Andromeda exclaimed, receiving a slightly hurt look from Ted at her tone. "I don't mean it in a bad way, I mean, Godric no I'm not because if I was then I wouldn't have been walking around lost for the past half hour. Or sneaking into muggle London because I got grounded for jumping my cousin, again mind, but that's another story really. I'm pureblood."

Andromeda resisted the urge to slap herself in the face at her pointless ramble, unable to help herself as she tried to explain to Ted that she hadn't meant it the way he took it. She wasn't in the mood for another fight.

"What?" Stephanie asked.

"Pureblood. It means both my parents are from magic." Andromeda explained in a whisper. "It's actually a really big deal in our world but we don't need to get into politics."

"Oh, no. Ted's explained that to me before. I meant, what do you mean you're lost? And you jumped your cousin again?" Stephanie asked looking slightly alarmed.

"I was wondering the same." Ted said with a laugh.

"As I said before, it is a long story. Basically we were having tea with the Rosiers and my cousin made some comment about me attacking him at school, which was just a part of my prefect duties, and it got a bit tense and I ended up cursing at him and saying things I shouldn't have said, got sent home and now I'm grounded until the end of my days." Andromeda explained as shortly as possible. "I ran out of entertainment though and mother is in Diagon Alley so I went to get a book from muggle London, got all sorts of turned around and only have a half an hour to beat her home."

"Your life sounds really dramatic." Stephanie observed.

"You have no idea." Andromeda said with a laugh. "What's funny was it was simple until I met this prat and he went and screwed the whole thing up. It's his fault really."

"Excuse me?" Ted gaped, looking mildly offended. "I may have made your life a _tad _more complicated but it was for the better really. You can't deny that."

Andromeda raised an eyebrow challengingly as Stephanie looked between the two in confusion.

"I think I'm very good at denying things when I want to actually." Andromeda remarked, sticking her nose in the air.

"But, if you won't admit I've been a positive influence on your life then I won't show you how to get back to the Leaky Cauldron." Ted threatened, smirking at Andromeda aware he had won.

Andromeda pouted to no avail.

"Fine." She finally gave up. "I hate you so much."

Ted offered a broad smile at her, which she returned with a glower, before they headed off in the opposite way of which Andromeda thought she had come.

"Whatever is going on between you two I don't want to be a part of it." Stephanie declared with a shake of her head.

After what seemed forever, they finally made it back to the Leaky Cauldron and despite herself Andromeda quickly thanked Ted and his sister before heading inside and flooing home. By some miracle she had managed to beat her mother.

In the safety of her room, Andromeda collapsed on her bed and cracked open the book she had purchased at the book store, smiling faintly as she tried to hold the large paperback copy of "Anna Karenina" in her hands. Despite her reservations it had ended up being a pretty good day.


	9. Chapter Nine

As was customary upon her awakening since the tea party incident, Andromeda would get out of bed and sit herself at the desk in her room where the quill and parchment was awaiting her. She quickly set to work on her two hundred lines, aware that the sooner she got it done the sooner she could forget about it until tomorrow. The first few days had proved a challenge as Andromeda readjusted to the quill cutting into her hand, but she was relatively used to the dull throb at this point and she didn't think much of it as she rushed to finish her lines.

Upon finishing Andromeda went about the ritual of cleaning her hand up, she pulled out the healing salve she kept within her desk at all occasions and wrapped a bandage around her hand. Around midday she was able to take the bandage off typically, when the hand had healed enough to handle fresh air without causing her sharp pain. Once her hand was tended to Andromeda grabbed the papers and made her way downstairs to the sitting room where she knew her mother would be waiting.

Her mother smiled smugly at the papers, as she did every day and made a snide comment about Andromeda behaving herself at the Malfoy Ball tonight. Andromeda agreed, with a slightly tired air, and headed to the kitchen where she found, as per usual, her breakfast had been restricted to an apple and one piece of toast, no jam, so as to watch Andromeda's weight as her mother was still sure she was a little plump. Andromeda ate forlornly, missing the taste of jam and all things actually delicious in the world, and resolved that she would eat as much as she wished at the Malfoy Ball tonight. Aware her mother would not be watching her too closely.

* * *

><p>That night Andromeda was dressed in the robes her mother had picked out for her and had been properly fixed up so they now fit Andromeda perfectly. She pinned her hair up, almost to spite her mother who much preferred it down. Once done she descended the stairs where Bellatrix was waiting rather impatiently.<p>

"Cissy not done yet?" Andromeda inquired although she already knew the answer.

"No. It's the Malfoy Ball, which means she has to take even longer to make sure she's absolutely perfect." Bellatrix answered with a roll of her eyes, slouching against her chair.

"Is he her target then?" Andromeda asked, sitting down in a chair as well.

"I should think so. She certainly gives him a lot of her time." Bellatrix remarked.

"I suppose she does." Andromeda agreed and they fell into silence.

"You girls look pretty." Mr. Black commented walking into the room.

"Thank you father." Andromeda and Bellatrix chorused, standing up to greet him.

"I feel as though I haven't seen you girls properly in a long time." Mr. Black commented with a smile. "Just a quick dinner here and there. I suppose it's all those late nights I've been forced to have at the office. A ministry just doesn't seem to run itself quite right."

"Well we've certainly missed you." Andromeda assured smiling. "Is mother not ready yet?"

"Your mother is helping Narcissa, all to make a good impression on the Malfoys." Mr. Black answered a sigh evident in his voice. "I will be glad when this whole business is over to be sure. It is a bit different being the father rather than being the young man."

"We will be glad when Narcissa is betrothed too, I believe." Andromeda agreed with a laugh.

They all laughed lightly before falling into a comfortable silence. It wasn't very typical for conversations to last long in the Black family, there wasn't too much to talk about. Her father would sometimes lightly discuss politics, although not to a deeper extent as he may have had he had a son, and their mother would often discuss society, although rarely when their father was present, and slightly less often when Andromeda and Bellatrix were present as they never seemed to quite take to it the way that Narcissa did.

Bellatrix and Andromeda used to converse rather well when alone, before the issue had arisen, rather accidentally, over the year as they both went their separate paths. Now they could keep a polite conversation for a while, though never to the extent of which it had once been. Narcissa was the chatterer, it was evident, she could strike up a conversation with anyone, albeit rather one sided. Narcissa was not yet present however.

Sometimes when alone, Andromeda could engage her father in a discussion of politics, although often hushed and quick when her mother was out or otherwise occupied, but with Bellatrix in the room, who took such a radical view and wasn't one for a simple discussion, it was impossible and foolish to even attempt such a conversation with her father.

There had once been a house full of conversation, when the girls were younger and still being taught, still in that grey area of not yet ladies, but not quite children. They'd been able to have all manner of conversations with their parents then, but now that they were grown, a lady did not assert her opinions in such a manner, unless perhaps in the presence of another lady, and certainly never spoke out of turn.

In some families the silence may have been deafening, an awkward silence that ate away at each member who took part, wishing another in the room would say something, searching for something to say themselves, but in the Black Household the silence was a comfort. It was much preferable to sit in the silence, in one's own thoughts rather than keep a stilted pleasant conversation. Most often when a light conversation was maintained it was the opinion of almost all that it would be better were they to sit in their own thoughts and enjoy a silence.

This was how it was in most pureblood households, and society itself. Unless one was in their own social circles, it was often a silent affair, not wanting to outstretch the boundaries of their circle and offend another. As it was in the Black Household they were split into three social circles that had to intermix, four if you took into account Narcissa's age. Neither mixed quite right to the point of comfortable chatter, and therefore silence was accepted as the best means of communication.

Mrs. Black and Narcissa arrived in the sitting room at last, and after exchanging the proper pleasantries once again, the Black Family made their way to the Malfoy Ball, prepared to perform their roles for the evening.

* * *

><p>Pureblood functions, particularly balls, always went quite the same way. Everyone was separated into their appropriate table, Mr. and Mrs. Black sat together as they there were married and were placed at one of the higher levels of honor, being Blacks, next to the other Mr. and Mrs. Black, Mr. Black's cousin, and the Malfoys. The Black ladies then, Andromeda and Bellatrix, would be placed at the table with the other ladies of age and already betrothed. Narcissa, would be seated perhaps at the children's table, if that was the only table offered for those under the debuting age, or at the to be debuted table, which included those who were between the ages of fourteen and fifteen, if it were such a high class party, as this one was.<p>

Sometimes Andromeda would be shirked to the children's table, under the pretense of watching them, as she allegedly had a way with children. This sort of slight was not taken inoffensively, however, in fact causing quite a row after the Easter ball when the Nott's, upset over Andromeda's betrothal to the MacNair family rather than their own, had placed her there in spite.

At times Mrs. Black did not cause an uproar over this misplacement, if she was feeling particularly vindictive or if Andromeda had recently humiliated her, at times Mrs. Black had placed her daughter their herself in a show of putting her in her place, the same would have been done with Bellatrix were it not evident that Bellatrix was entirely incapable of being even slightly pleasant to children. It was all right when Mrs. Black did it, however, and quite an uproarious move when a family like the Nott's, a family who had tried to raise themselves higher up in pureblood society on numerous times and certainly was not worthy of a direct Black, tried to do it.

It was thus that Andromeda had been placed at the proper table for once, to her relief as it was quite an embarrassment to be the only one taller than five feet at a table full of children, and was surrounded by a group of her peers. All of whom Andromeda was quite aware she could barely stand. Narcissa had been regaled to the 'to be debuted' table, which was quite all right with her, and Bellatrix and Andromeda, despite their growing differences, stuck together not wanting to have to deal with the constant babble of their peers.

Dinner passed with very little event, perhaps helped by the fact that it involved eating and it was incredibly rude to speak with one's mouth full, therefore lessening the ability that anyone could be offended by any other, and it was soon time for the actual ball portion of the evening.

During her times at the children's table, however, Andromeda had become quite friendly with them and there was one child in particular, Zeddie Rowle, who had a crush on Andromeda and at times she wished he had been older so she could have been betrothed to him rather than Walden MacNair. Zeddie seemed so much kinder and caring than Walden, but perhaps that was just the childhood innocence that a ten year old could still possess. It was possible by the time Zeddie was Walden's age he would be just as bad, but she hoped not.

It was this little boy, a cute little brunette in dress robes and perfectly combed hair, a care taken carefully by his mother, who walked up to Andromeda once the ball portion had begun and bowed a low, seemingly well practiced bow.

"May I have this dance?" Zeddie asked a nervous smile on his face.

"You want to dance?" Andromeda asked, slightly shocked as it was not often boy's his age were fond of dancing.

"Well if I can dance with you." Zeddie said smiling more confidently.

"All right then." Andromeda agreed, offering her hand for Zeddie to take.

A waltz began to play and there was an awkward moment where Andromeda had to work out how to dance with a boy a few feet shorter than her, but once she had adjusted herself properly to help ease the awkwardness it turned out that Zeddie was quite a good dancer, probably better were the height difference not hindering them.

"When did you learn to dance?" Andromeda inquired curiously.

"I had my mother teach me." Zeddie answered, smiling at the praise. "I wanted to be able to dance with you."

Andromeda stifled an aw, although it had probably been the nicest thing she'd ever had said to her, and smiled appreciatively at Zeddie, thanking him. Why did it seem pureblood boys were ruined when they hit their teen years and couldn't stay this young and pleasant forever?

Zeddie smiled back at her and they took a few turns in tune to the song. Zeddie glanced to the side, as if debating asking or saying something and Andromeda raised an eyebrow intrigued at what this little boy could be wondering to ask for.

"Yes?" Andromeda asked, giving him a slight nudge to ask whatever it was.

"I don't want to be too forward." Zeddie started hesitantly as Andromeda nodded encouraging him to go on. "Can, can I have a kiss?"

Andromeda blinked in astonishment, having not expected the request, and weighed the pros and cons. It would not hurt anyone, to be sure, and it would certainly make Zeddie's night, of whom she was becoming more and more fond of by the moment.

"Maybe on the cheek." She finally decided watching as Zeddie's face lit up.

The song ended, rather conveniently, although they had been dancing for a while and they made their way off the dance floor.

"May I have my kiss now?" He asked, almost afraid if he didn't claim it now he never would have the opportunity again.

"All right." Andromeda agreed with a shrug.

Once on the sidelines she bent to place a kiss upon the little boy's cheek, although at the last moment, Zeddie, clever ten year old that he was, turned his head and Andromeda's lips connected with his briefly before she pulled back. Perhaps even at ten pureblood boys were not perfect gentlemen, after all.

"Zeddie." She admonished, and he had the good grace to look somewhat apologetic.

"Kissing other boys?" A voice asked from behind Andromeda making her jump. "You're not going to leave me are you?"

"No Walden." Andromeda said forcing a smile as Zeddie pulled a face of disgust at Walden.

"Good, I'd hate if you left me for someone ten years my junior." Walden joked grabbing Andromeda's arm. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes." Andromeda answered before turning to look at Zeddie. "Goodbye Zeddie. Thank you very much for the dance.

"Goodbye Andromeda." Zeddie replied, glaring at Walden as he led Andromeda away.

Andromeda found it much easier to situate herself into dancing with Walden as they were closer to the same height, but it had certainly been more enjoyable to dance with Zeddie. Walden was more focused on appearances and how proper their dancing looked than on Andromeda herself, who found the strict step by step dancing rather boring.

Walden and Andromeda turned around a bit, as was accustom to the dance, and she noted dully that Walden's hand was slowly finding its way to her butt. Andromeda glanced around to be sure no one was giving them their direct attention as his hand slid firmly onto one cheek and gave it a little squeeze, causing Andromeda to squeak slightly in surprise. Walden smirked smugly at her as she glanced around once again to make sure no one had heard her.

"Walden we're in public." Andromeda hissed.

"Yes, but the entire public happens to know we're engaged Andromeda." Walden replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Engaged, but not married. Not to mention being public about such things is against propriety." Andromeda retorted tersely glancing around again.

"No one is going to notice my hand on your arse Andromeda." Walden said boredly, used to this argument. "Even if they did, no one will care, I promise. There are couples doing far worse. Look at Persimmon over there."

"I just don't know why you have to put your hand there in the first place." Andromeda muttered tiredly.

"Is it so wrong that I, your soon to be husband, would like to enjoy your, my soon to be wife's, nice arse the few moments I get to spend with it?" Walden asked. "You're at that bloody school almost the whole year, I miss you."

Upon stating 'I miss you' Walden gave an emphasizing squeeze to Andromeda's butt and Andromeda wondered dully which part of her he really missed, as it was clearly not her intellect. Regardless she held back a sigh and decided to just let it be, it wouldn't hurt much and no one would really notice with the spectacle that Persimmon seemed to be making. If it would appease Walden and give Andromeda some peace through the dance then it wasn't causing any real harm, was it?

"How about we go to the cloak room?" Walden asked in her ear.

"All right." Andromeda agreed, aware that if she said no it would just start another argument she didn't want to deal with.

"Come along then." Walden said, leading her off the dance floor and to the Malfoy cloak room.

As soon as Walden had closed the door securely and made sure they were alone within the room he pushed his lips against her's rather sloppily and Andromeda responded as best she could. Snogging Walden always seemed like a lot more work than fun. As he all but licked her Andromeda wondered if there had been any truth to what Molly had said about snogging being enjoyable. Maybe if Walden was any good at it she wouldn't mind marrying him so much.

As Andromeda was lot in her thoughts, mostly trying to remember if she had had to read that extra chapter for Charms or not before winter holiday was over, and something from someone's cloak was pushing rather uncomfortably against her arm, Walden began to work his way into her robe, hands drifting increasingly closer to her breasts.

"What are you doing?" Andromeda asked, pulling back and smacking her head lightly against the wall.

"Just trying to snog _my_ fiancée." Walden answered, annoyed at being interrupted.

"What you were trying to do was not just snogging." Andromeda stated wryly.

"You've been my fiancée for over a year now. Is it wrong that at some point in that time I'd like a little action?" Walden asked almost angrily at being denied not for the first time.

"I'm not even of age yet, Walden. That's technically illegal." Andromeda pointed out, pushing Walden away with her hand.

"You're right there." Walden said reluctantly. "When's your birthday again?"

"You don't even know my birthday!?" Andromeda cried in outrage, latching onto anything that might get her out of the cloak room.

"Um, well, uh, do you know my birthday?" Walden asked grasping at straws.

"April twenty-first." Andromeda answered coolly.

"Fuck." Walden cursed under his breath. "I'll just be going then?"

"That sounds like a brilliant idea." Andromeda agreed crossing her arms as she watched Walden leave the cloak room, cursing his own stupidity.

* * *

><p>The rest of the ball was uneventful. Walden and Andromeda danced a few more times to keep up appearances, but Walden kept his hands mostly to himself so as not to upset her anymore, and tried desperately to remember her birthday. To Andromeda's disappointment, as she had wanted to talk to him, Uncle Alphard was a no show.<p>

She hoped he would appear at the Christmas morning activities, as she felt he was the only one who could possibly understand her current predicament, even if he kept his views rather to himself Andromeda had always been vaguely aware that they were a bit different. Different was definitely what Andromeda needed right now.

After what seemed like an eternity the ball was finally over and Andromeda was waiting for Narcissa to floo home, as her parents and Bellatrix had already apparated, leaving Andromeda to take responsibility for her younger sister. Unfortunately for her, Narcissa was taking her sweet time to say goodbye to Lucius. She couldn't wait until she could apparate herself and this constant waiting for her younger sister or house elf was finally over.

"Why don't you come to tea sometime this week?" Mrs. Malfoy asked as she and Narcissa entered the room.

"I would love to Mrs. Malfoy! You'll have to owl me soon and we can set up the details." Narcissa agreed smiling at Mrs. Malfoy.

"I certainly will." Mrs. Malfoy assured smiling before noticing Andromeda still in the room. "You're still here?"

"I was waiting for Narcissa." Andromeda answered as Mrs. Malfoy looked at her with disdain.

It was evident Lucius had informed her all about what had transpired over the school year. Andromeda was sure he hadn't painted her in the best light.

"Well." Mrs. Malfoy said briskly, turning to Narcissa. "I'll owl you about the time."

"Please do. Goodbye Mrs. Malfoy." Narcissa said smiling at her. "Goodbye Lucius."

"Goodbye Narcissa." Lucius replied smiling at her and waving slightly.

Andromeda stood up and joined Narcissa at the fireplace, glad to finally be leaving the Malfoy Manor where she was clearly not welcome. When they arrived at home Andromeda turned to Narcissa and smiled.

"What's going on with you and Lucius Malfoy?" She teased nudging her sister lightly.

"I don't know." Narcissa replied smiling to herself and giggling.

Andromeda raised her eyebrows knowingly at her sister before walking off leaving a blushing Narcissa in her wake.

* * *

><p>Andromeda woke up on Christmas Day and noticed at once the fresh stack of parchment and quill sitting on her desk. Sighing heavily she got to work, not surprised in the least that her mother hadn't even considered giving her a reprieve despite it being a holiday. As she was about halfway through she heard a tapping on her window. In confusion she turned around and saw an owl hovering just outside the winter, a parcel tied to its foot. She blinked, processing the strange owl, before rushing to the window as it tapped angrily against the window once again.<p>

"Sh. Sh. Someone might hear you." Andromeda told the owl as she let it in.

She walked to her desk and got out a treat for it, hoping to quiet it down a bit as she untied the parcel from around its foot. Once she had freed it from the owl she opened the letter, laying the parcel next to her carefully, curious as to who it was from.

_Dear Dromeda,_

_Merry Christmas! We went to this space museum-my brother is really into space. I guess there's some program the Americans and Russians are engaged in and space is a big deal in the muggle world right now. My brother said he wants to be an astronaut? I think I went into the wizarding world just as this space thing really kicked off so I'm lost really, know just as much as you do probably-maybe a bit more since I've been around my brother for the past week and he won't shut up about it._

_But I digress. You probably don't care much about the muggle space program. This present is relevant though. I thought of you when I saw it-you'll get why when you see it yourself. You can use it for tea or something. Do you drink tea? I'm sure you do._

_-Ted_

Andromeda snorted at his letter and unwrapped the parcel, offering the owl another treat to keep it from hooting. Inside was a mug, carefully packaged, and when Andromeda pulled the packaging off she smiled. The mug had a picture of the Andromeda Galaxy on it, and below the picture Andromeda Galaxy was written in a fancy script.

She placed the mug carefully on the desk, threw another treat at his owl, and grabbed parchment and a quill, starting a quick letter.

_Dear Edward,_

_Thank you for the mug! I do drink tea, quite frequently, more than you can imagine actually, so the mug will certainly come in handy. I have a present for you myself, but I wasn't sure how to get it to you until now, we only have one owl in my family and it's near impossible to get it away from my father, he works at the ministry, basically runs it so it's nonstop with him._

_It's a little racist, but what else would you expect from me truly? I hope the humour in it at least makes up for the racism… Basically, it's what, until the tender of age of seven I thought a 'Mudblood' looked like. Imagine my confusion one day when Bellatrix snidely pointed out an ordinary person. I found it in Knockturn Alley so it might be cursed, but probably not. I think it was just stolen? It's impossible to tell when you get something from Knockturn Alley, but it hasn't cursed me and it's impossible to find anything weird like that unless if you're willing to go into Knockturn Alley… I'm sure it's fine though._

_Molly wasn't very fond of being dragged into Knockturn Alley, but I convinced her it was a learning experience. How I help expand people's worlds. I am a giver, truly._

_Merry Christmas!  
>Andromeda<em>

Andromeda grabbed Ted's present, a humanoid looking creature that seemed to be covered in a plastic mud. The mud covered it from head to toe, and you could only assume it was human by its general shape. Andromeda still wasn't sure what it was meant to be, but it was the sort of thing she had come to expect to find with the shady dealers in Knockturn Alley. She tied the letter and the present, which she had wrapped before going to the ball yesterday, up in a bag before tying it to his owl.

"Take this back to Ted please." She told the owl, giving it one last treat before letting it out the window.

Once her window was closed again Andromeda walked back to her desk, adjusting the mug which she had placed on it rather quickly, before sitting back down to finish up her lines, recounting where she was as she had lost track at the interruption. She finished quickly, tapped the parchment together into a neat stack, and moved toward the door prepared to deliver it to her mother when another tap came on her window.

Further confused, Andromeda turned around and found another owl at her window. She had never been so popular. She hurried over and let it in, now entirely lost as to who it could be from. She fed it a treat as well and removed the letter and parcel much quicker than she had with Ted's, mostly as Ted's had been a confusion of strings and knots.

_Andromeda,_

_Thanks for the fire crab, we've been having tons of fun with it over her. My dad loves it. It burned a stack of Quibblers but I think that only made him love it more. I found that picture of the sirrah and thought I'd draw you this. It's not on the back on some kid's paper, but I hope it'll do._

_Merry Christmas,  
>Xenophilius<em>

Andromeda smiled as she unrolled the paper that had been attached, glad she had been able to send Xenophilius' present in Diagon Alley, as she would not have been able to find a living creature quite as well as she could had Ted's present.

The sirrah was exactly as Xenophilius had described it all those months ago, the crown shaped plume and sharp beak, and Andromeda loved it all the more. It really was beautiful. She resolved to hang it on her wall later. Grabbing another parchment and a quill Andromeda wrote Xenophilius a quick thank you note before sending his owl off.

With her Christmas wishes done, Andromeda couldn't think of anyone else who would send her something, she gathered the lines she had written from where she had placed them back down on the desk, and headed out of her bedroom to deliver them to her mother, looking forward to see what her parents had gotten her for Christmas.

* * *

><p>Andromeda was elbow deep in her stocking reaching to find anything else that might still be in there. Her spoils from the day were surrounding her in a disorganized mess, her jewelry mixing with pantyhose and inkwells. Just as she was about ready to give up and admit there was nothing else in her stocking Andromeda felt a piece of paper she had mistaken for the tag. Confused she felt another slip of paper, grasping both papers in her hand she pulled them out.<p>

"Merlin's pants!" Andromeda squeaked excitedly glancing over the tickets. "Are these real?"

"Yes, although I'm not really sure you deserve them after how you've behaved this holiday." Mrs. Black answered, making a motion as if she were going to take them.

Andromeda pulled her best pouty face, the one that had worked quite well for her in the past.

"Please mother. You know how much I love the Falcons." Andromeda begged.

"As long as you behave for the rest of the holiday, you can keep them." Mrs. Black warned.

"Thank you mother! I'll be on my best behavior, honest." Andromeda beamed.

Mrs. Black nodded and for a second it seemed almost as if they might hug, Andromeda was certainly exuberant enough, but then Mrs. Black stood and got her usual look back in her eye.

"Girls, take your stockings upstairs. Your cousins should be here soon." Mrs. Black ordered.

"Yes mother." The three sisters chorused, collecting their things.

Andromeda headed off with a bounce in her step, brandishing her Falmouth Falcons tickets as if they were pure gold.

* * *

><p>The moment of truth had arrived as Andromeda descended down the stairs and into the sitting room where her visiting family would be seated. She noted happily that her Uncle Alphard was in fact seated in the room, sandwiched between her Great Aunt Cassiopeia and her father. On the other couch her grandparents from her father's side were sitting chatting amoungst themselves.<p>

The stack of presents that sat under the tree had grown quite a bit since Andromeda had first headed upstairs. There was also a tier of snacks sitting on the table that Andromeda was aware that she would most likely not be able to eat. She mourned for her loss of delicious food for a tad bit, it looked truly scrumptious, before walking fully into the room and greeting her various family members.

"Have Aunt Walburga and the boys not shown up yet?" She inquired once everyone was seated once more.

"My sister and Orion ought to be here shortly." Mr. Black answered.

Andromeda nodded and took a seat in a nearby chair as the rest of her family filed in.

"How is school going, girls?" Great Aunt Cassiopeia asked once all three Black sisters were present.

"Quite well." Narcissa answered smiling pleasantly. "I'm in my fourth year now."

"Oh fourth year, what a time." Grandmother Irma remarked. "You're about to be presented aren't you, dear?"

"Yes, I'm very excited about it. I can hardly wait." Narcissa exclaimed.

"What about you two?" Cassiopeia inquired, addressing Andromeda and Bellatrix.

"School is going well so far. I'm in my sixth year now and NEWT classes are a bit harder than I expected but I think I have a handle on them." Andromeda answered.

"School is excellent. I'm graduating this year." Bellatrix informed them.

"How many NEWTs are you girls taking?" Grandfather Pollux asked, turning from the conversation he was having with Cygnus.

"Seven." Bellatrix answered.

"Ten." Andromeda said. "Everything but Muggle Studies and Divination."

Pollux raised an eyebrow appreciatively.

"Smart girls you have here, Cygnus. Managing ten NEWTs and you're a prefect, aren't you Andromeda?" Pollux complimented.

"They've always been a bit more clever than the average witch. What more can you expect from fine genes?" Cygnus declared smiling at Andromeda proudly.

As Irma opened her mouth to make a perhaps cutting remark, as she did not understand why someone of Andromeda's status would need to take ten whole NEWTs, especially someone who was born into the Black name, a knock came upon the door and within moments the other portion of the Black family, Aunt Walburga, Uncle Orion, and the 'boys' Sirius and Regulus entered the room.

Walburga and Orion took part in the proper greetings as Sirius and Regulus raced into the room, admiring the looming pile of presents under the Christmas tree. Sirius was eight, excitable, and a bit of a handful to put it lightly. Regulus, seven, wanted to be just like Sirius and followed him around everywhere. Sirius pretended it annoyed him but he secretly relished the idea of being someone's hero and would often take advantage of Regulus' loyalty.

Sirius was shaking one of the presents that appeared to be for him, a look of concentration on his face as if decoding what it was by sound and weight, brilliant child as he was, it was likely he would be successful. Regulus, halfway into the stack of presents and no longer visible to anyone else within the room besides Sirius, was trying to inconspicuously unwrap one of his presents just enough to see what it was without it being noticeable that he had opened it.

Andromeda watched with a smile on her face as Sirius placed the present on the ground and leaned over it, seemingly assessing the dimensions of the box and running them against a feasible list of gifts that would be awaiting him. She remembered fondly when she had been much the same way. Aunt Walburga looked on, no trace of amusement in her face, as she frowned at Sirius as if to dissuade him. Typically, Sirius took no notice.

"Sirius, Regulus, get away from the presents." She ordered once it became evident they would not move by look alone.

Regulus walked away reluctantly and sat, in the chair his mother was gesturing to, properly, an apologetic look upon his face. Sirius continued to ignore his mother, a slow smile forming on his face as he seemed to figure out exactly what was in the present. Walburga cast another sharp look at him and Andromeda became aware that there may soon be a scene.

"Sirius." Andromeda said, making the boy look up. "I am offended you haven't even said hello to me! Me, your favourite cousin, of all people."

Sirius looked up, as if noticing there were other people in the room for the first time, having been entirely distracted by the presents, grinned and got up to go sit by his self-proclaimed favourite cousin.

Andromeda adjusted with Sirius on her lap, as he had deemed to sit there upon discovering that Bellatrix was sitting next to Andromeda. He would shoot Bellatrix a disgruntled look every once in a while, when he assumed no one was paying attention, which Bellatrix would return. Andromeda pretended she didn't see anything although she couldn't help but smile to herself.

"How has life been treating you then Sirius?" Andromeda asked as the various family members entered their own conversations.

"Good. Mother got this new umbrella stand, it's really ugly. I think I'm going to break it." Sirius declared in quiet tones. "It's an eyesore. Who makes a troll leg into an umbrella stand?"

"Your mother always did have interesting taste." Andromeda agreed, imagining the ugly stand. "I wish you all the luck in destroying what I'm sure is the ugliest umbrella stand ever."

"I haven't devised how yet though. I have to do it in a way that it looks like an accident but can't be repaired." Sirius mused, clearly something that had been plaguing him. "I'll think of a way eventually."

"Sooner rather than later, eh?" Andromeda joked.

Sirius laughed and was about to say something when Andromeda noticed her Uncle Alphard excuse himself from the conversation he was currently engaged in with Cygnus and Pollux. If she was going to talk to him openly then this would be her only chance to get him alone.

"Sirius, I'll be right back. Go keep Regulus company, okay? He looks incredibly bored." Andromeda said.

Regulus was, indeed, sitting across the room next to Narcissa who was talking to Irma and Cassiopeia and completely ignoring Regulus who was looking jealously at Sirius. Sirius, deflected upon his younger brother and therefore distracted, allowed Andromeda to slip from the room unnoticed.

"Uncle Alphard?" Andromeda called upon cornering him as he exited the bathroom.

"Andromeda, dear. Do you often corner men as they exit the restroom?" He joked, a large smile on his face.

"Only when I need to discuss something important with them." Andromeda remarked.

"So important it can't be discussed with the rest of the family present?" Uncle Alphard asked, intrigued.

"It's a frowned upon subject to the rest of the family." Andromeda admitted.

"That's my favourite kind of topic of discussion." Uncle Alphard said gleefully. "What is this important matter then?"

Andromeda bit her lip, aware there was no going back if she openly stated it so closely to the rest of her family it would be the final submission. There would be no going back. Foolishly, perhaps, she plunged on.

"Do you remember when I was younger and you would say things sometimes? Things that never quite fit in with our family's values and ideals. At the time I had ignored you to the best of my ability but, well you were the only one who treated me like an intelligent being and they resonated with me, I suppose." Andromeda rushed out, as quietly as she could so as not to be overheard. "I've been finding it increasingly harder to suppress what you've said and I've found recently that I agree pretty much entirely with the sort of things you used to say."

"Andromeda, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Uncle Alphard asked, a glint in his eye that betrayed the serious expression on his face.

Andromeda nodded and despite himself Uncle Alphard drew Andromeda into a hug, a smile on his face.

"This is the best Christmas you could have given me!" He exclaimed. "Now I just need to be as influential on the rest of my nieces and nephews, eh?"

Andromeda patted him awkwardly on the back.

"The only problem is, of course, that I no longer fit in with the rest of the family and I'm finding it hard to stop from outing myself. Especially with Bellatrix around. Did you know that she joined the Knights of Walpurgis?" Andromeda said once Uncle Alphard had released her. "How do you do it?"

Uncle Alphard scowled at the mention of the Knights, clearly disappointed, but he powered on.

"It's a bit tricky, I won't lie. It's a careful balance of deception and telling people what they want to hear. After a while if you play your hand close to your chest and keep it up they begin to believe what they expect of you, even if you fall short. It's trickiest when you begin, but it gets easier over time." Uncle Alphard admitted. "You've always been a good liar though, Andromeda, you should be fine."

"That helps so much." Andromeda bit with a grimace. "How do you put up with it though, all the racist comments and hateful words? It's so hard not to say anything. They're just so wrong."

"I know. It's hard. I'm sorry I can't provide you any real comfort here, but the best we can do is grin and bear it." Uncle Alphard advised. "That and subtly hint and try to change their minds."

Andromeda gave him a dubious look.

"It worked with you, didn't it?" Uncle Alphard pointed out.

"You have me there." Andromeda admitted with a laugh.

"Now then, we ought to get back before they notice us missing, don't you think? It certainly doesn't take me this long to use the bathroom regularly." Uncle Alphard joked walking past Andromeda.

Andromeda followed him back into the main room and as she turned the corner she noted a movement out of the corner of her eye. She followed it suspiciously and came face to face with Sirius. Andromeda filled with dread and wondered just how much the boy had overheard. She silently cursed his overpowering curiosity.

"Sirius! Didn't I tell you to keep Regulus company?" Andromeda asked, eyeing Sirius warily.

"I got bored." Sirius proclaimed with a shrug. "Thought I'd see what you had gotten off to. What were you and Uncle Alphard talking about?"

"That is a secret." Andromeda answered smiling at Sirius.

"When mother says that she usually is planning something for my birthday." Sirius remarked.

"Perhaps." Andromeda stated. "We should be going though, shouldn't we?"

Sirius nodded, smile lighting up his face as he quietly tried to decipher what he had just overheard between Andromeda and Uncle Alphard.

* * *

><p>The days passed and at last it was New Year's Eve. The Black household was a bustle as Mrs. Black made final preparations for the New Year's Eve Ball, the most important event of the year in pureblood society. She was so busy that, for once Andromeda awoke to find no quill, no parchment, and no expectation to fill out any sort of punishment.<p>

She smiled at her vacant desk and shuffled through the drawers to find the book she had been reading of late, aware from past experience that if she headed downstairs now she would be met with her mother in a frenzy, trying to deal with last minute issues under extreme stress.

She sat done in the chair and for once on the whole holiday began to relax. Holiday was almost over and all she had left was to be on her best behavior at this event and the Falcons match was a certainty. For a second she was reminded of Charity's New Year's party and felt a wave of sadness that she would miss out on it, but a Falcons match and seeing Kevin Broadmoor in the flesh was better by all means.

* * *

><p>The Ball was in full swing and Andromeda was chatting happily with Persimmon. She was always more comfortable when she was within her own home than within other's, and she felt at ease whereas at the Malfoy Manor part of her had been on edge.<p>

"You're in the final stretch now." Andromeda observed. "Are you excited to be almost done with Hogwarts?"

"I cannot wait. I can almost taste my freedom from those ugly uniforms." Persimmon said, a smile coming across her face.

"No more uniforms are really what you're most excited about?" Andromeda asked skeptically.

"Well, all I have besides that is my marriage to look forward to. I suppose it will be nice not to have to sneak around anymore." Persimmon decided. "The uniforms are horrible though. You can't deny it."

"I suppose you're right." Andromeda agreed reluctantly. "Those jumpers are absolutely dreadful. Not to mention itchy."

"The skirts are so unflattering too!" Persimmon proclaimed. "Not to mention long."

"What's with the hats, though? What purpose do they serve at all? They don't keep you warm, and you're not supposed to wear them in class." Andromeda pointed out. "Why are they even in the uniform at all? To get us adjusted to pointy hat wear?"

"I've always hated the pointed hat." Persimmon divulged. "My father always wears one, it's the tackiest thing."

"I'm afraid I will never understand some wizard fashion."

"Andromeda, Persimmon." Bellatrix greeted as she walked over. "May I interrupt?"

"You already have." Persimmon pointed out.

"There you have it then. I need to borrow Andromeda." Bellatrix said, grabbing Andromeda's arm. "Come along with me, dear sister."

"I suppose I'll see you later." Andromeda said to Persimmon waving slightly as Bellatrix pulled here into the hallway. "That was rude."

"I don't want Persimmon hearing this." Bellatrix said rolling her eyes. "I have a surprise for you."

"Will I like this surprise?" Andromeda inquired.

"Of course!" Bellatrix exclaimed. "There's a Knights meeting going on shortly. I've managed to get you in early."

"What?" Andromeda asked in shock.

"I know, I know. Best sister ever. I had to pull some serious strings so don't mess this up." Bellatrix warned, a threat edging into her voice.

"Where?" Andromeda asked in confusion. "How?"

"You ask a lot of questions for someone who should be oozing appreciation." Bellatrix remarked.

"It's just all so sudden." Andromeda explained. "Thank you though."

"That's more like it."

Andromeda followed Bellatrix up the stairs and through some of the hallways until they reached one of the usually abandoned living rooms upstairs. Andromeda was mildly impressed with the gall of Bellatrix to host a Knights of Walpurgis meeting in their home during the New Year's Eve Ball, which was an event that their mother planned and prepared for all year. She only had a moment to be impressed though, as she was suddenly surrounded by people jockeying for a seat near possibly one of the most attractive men Andromeda had ever seen.

Andromeda could understand upon seeing the dark handsome man why Bellatrix followed him so devotedly. He was exactly the type of guy that Bellatrix would fall for. There was something kind of terrifying about him as well though. He gave off vibes that made Andromeda feel slightly uncomfortable, like he was constantly prepared to charm and manipulate you, which, Andromeda figured, he probably was.

"Andromeda! Didn't expect to see you here." Travers exclaimed sidling up to Andromeda. "You're not seventeen yet, are you?"

"In two weeks. I've managed to get in early." Andromeda answered forcing a smile. "I forgot you were a Knight."

"That wounds me, truly." Travers said, putting a hand over his heart in fake pain. "How are rounds going?"

"All right enough." Andromeda said. "You? Do you miss me terribly?"

"All the time. Your conversation was what kept me going at night." Travers remarked. "Isn't your rounds partner a Mudblood though?"

"Yeah. It's a very quiet rounds oddly enough." Andromeda lied, pulling a face of disgust and hating herself slightly.

"I heard the kid got you kicked out of class too? Do you want me to deal with him?" Travers offered.

"Oh I already have, don't worry about it." Andromeda assured.

Travers nodded as the attractive man in the center of the room cleared his throat as if to signify the start of the meeting.

"I suppose we ought to find some seats."

Andromeda followed Travers to one of the nearby couches but found they had all been taken up. Annoyed but not wanting to draw attention to herself Andromeda moved to lean against the wall as Travers took a seat on the floor. She surveyed the room and was surprised to find the amount of people attending the meeting; she had not expected the Knights to be such a large group. Just as she was finished taking stock of who was in attendance, her eyes met with Walden's. She groaned inwardly. She should have expected her fiancé to be a part of the Knights.

"Andromeda!" He exclaimed interrupting everything and drawing the attention she hadn't wanted. "What are you doing standing? A Black standing. You should all be ashamed of yourselves."

At the mention of her last name several people made to stand up but Walden waved them off patting his lap for Andromeda to sit on. Trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible Andromeda walked over and sat on Walden's lap, wishing she was anywhere but there.

"What are you doing here?" Walden whispered once Andromeda had taken her seat.

"Bellatrix got me in early. I turn seventeen soon and I guess she wanted to induct me early." Andromeda murmured back.

"January Fifteenth, yes?" Walden asked a proud smile on his face.

"Remembered my birthday then, did you?" Andromeda retorted. "I'd be flattered but I can't be sure you didn't just ask my sister."

"Such wit." Walden bit. "I didn't think you'd be joining the Knights though."

"On the contrary, I've been counting the days. I'm just lucky I have such an early birthday." Andromeda answered, lying through her teeth. "I could hardly wait until I could join the campaign against mudbloods."

"I'm pretty lucky you have an early birthday too." Walden remarked leaning forward and nibbling Andromeda's neck.

Andromeda, in an attempt to focus her attention anywhere but on Walden's gross sucking of her neck, met eyes with the attractive man in the middle who seemed to be looking at her attentively, as if he could see right through her. Despite herself, Andromeda shivered, uncomfortable with the gaze this man was casting at her, Walden, typically, took it as a sign of enjoyment.

Andromeda tried her best to listen to what this man whom Bellatrix admired so much was saying, but between the way he would look at her occasionally, evaluating her, and the pure blind muggle-born hatred, it was hard for her to keep track. About partway through a diatribe on the thieving and non-trustworthy ways of muggle-borns Andromeda felt herself oozing with so much rage that it was taking all her willpower not to speak up.

It did not help in the least, that Walden had placed a glass of wine in her hand and while Andromeda was trying to sip it, aware that alcohol would only loosen her tongue and make it harder to inhibit her growing rage at this group's prejudice, she was gradually taking larger and larger sips as she tried to get the meeting to move and end faster. It was not logical, the amount of alcohol she took in would not make the night move faster, but it was the only thing she had on hand, besides Walden who was still occasionally working on her neck. Andromeda was certain she would have a large hickey by the end of the evening, and to that she took another sip.

"It's truly disgusting they think that they can cohabitate in a world with us. Particularly us purebloods. We've earned our rights and magic and then these mudbloods come in and try and worm their way into our society? Who do they think we are?" Walden spat, startling Andromeda slightly as she hadn't realized the meeting had moved to open discussion.

"Someone's very outspoken for not even being a pureblood." Theodore Nott bit from across the room, scowling at Walden.

"What do you mean? I am too a pureblood! How dare you!?" Walden cried in outrage, jumping up in defense.

Andromeda, in Walden's haste, got knocked to the floor. Although annoyed and perhaps a bit tipsy Andromeda was aware that this Walden and Theodore debacle might be here ticket out of there. Walden and Theodore had had it out for each other since their Hogwarts days, the Notts had long since disclaimed the MacNairs as purebloods and there had therefore been an ongoing feud. It did not help that Theodore and Walden had both been shopping for fiancées at the same time and both had had their sights set on Andromeda. Walden had been lucky enough to have gotten their first.

"That's not what the official pureblood list states." Nott said haughtily.

Andromeda noted that neither boy seemed to care at all that she had been unceremoniously dumped on the floor. For boy's that had been after her hand they seemed so uninterested in her now.

"Do you mean the pureblood list the Notts created? The one that they specifically let the MacNairs out of? Due to jealousy? Oh yes, that list is completely reliable." Walden retorted.

"I hardly think my family would be jealous of some pretending half-bloods." Nott bit.

"You're not jealous that I got Andromeda Black's hand then? We all know how hard you were gunning for that one."

This was, of course, still a sore spot for Theodore and words seemed to fail him. One look at Walden's superior expression and he launched himself at him, knocking him square in the face. Within moments a fist fight had broken out and the meeting seemed to dissolve entirely.

"Stop it!" Andromeda yelled, her anger finally snapping. "For two guys who seem to care so much neither of you stopped to make sure I was okay when I got _knocked to the floor. _I don't know what this stupid feud between the MacNairs and the Notts started out as, but how about the both of you get over yourselves and focus on what's really important."

"She's right you know," Theodore remarked, fist posed inches from Walden's face. "We are wasting time fighting each other when we should be focusing on getting rid of the mudbloods.

"You're right, mate. If we focused this energy on the mudbloods instead of each other we might actually accomplish something." Walden agreed, facing bleeding profusely.

"I'm fine by the way, thank you for asking. Charming, the both of you." Andromeda bit, exasperated.

"Theatrics aside, I think that might be a good conclusion to the meeting." The man interrupted glancing angrily at Andromeda as if it was all her fault.

Bellatrix seemed to agree and shot Andromeda a deadly gaze. Andromeda normally afraid, felt past the point of caring, and stormed out of the room before Walden or Theodore could catch up. Bellatrix, of course, caught up with her first, in a deserted hallway Andromeda had took to try and escape running into either of the boys.

"Well that was just lovely." She cut, making Andromeda jump. "You know what he said to me once you had gone? He said 'Don't bring her back. She's not the sort we want here. I'm disappointed in you Bella, your judge of character seems to be lacking.' Isn't that just fucking brilliant? You making me look like an idiot? So, thanks for that, really, from the bottom of my heart."

"I'm not the one that made Walden and Theodore get in a fight. It's not my fault the Notts and MacNairs have been at each other since Merlin knows when." Andromeda retorted, the wine she had consumed making her brave. "I didn't ask you to get me in the Knights in the first place! You just assumed I would want to join!"

"A thousand pardons for trying to help you get into the most influential group in wizarding history. Why do you always have to be so difficult and different? Do you enjoy making me look stupid? Do you?" Bellatrix accused, stepping threateningly towards Andromeda.

"Do you enjoy making my life a living hell?" Andromeda exclaimed.

"I make your life a living hell? Oh that's rich, truly. I can show you what a living hell is truly like, if you'd like." Bellatrix threatened, pulling her wand from her robes.

Andromeda faltered at the sight of Bellatrix's wand, aware of the damage that her sister was capable of and had previously inflicted. Before she could retort Bellatrix hit her, hard, with some spell Andromeda didn't have time to identify.

She crumpled over, the wind knocked out of her, as she tried to pinpoint what had gone wrong. She thought she had been doing so well, keeping Bellatrix pleased as well as she could, but she must have been wrong. She realized the quiet she had been receiving must have been the calm before the storm, rather than a reluctant peace, and tonight had broken the last straw. Andromeda was trying to pinpoint where it had all gone wrong before a wave of incredible pain hit her making her lose all remnants of thought.

It was gone almost as soon as it had arrived, although it had seemed a lifetime to Andromeda, as if Bellatrix had realized what she was doing and had stopped in an attempt to take it back. It was too late though, and the careful ground that Andromeda and Bellatrix had been treading on had split. There was no more hope.

"Did you just use an Unforgivable on me?" Andromeda choked out, her whole body sore.

"I-I didn't mean it? I hadn't realized what I was doing until it was too late-." Bellatrix began apologetically.

"You're right, it is too late. I've put up with this abuse Bellatrix, but I'm done. You've gone too far this time." Andromeda declared, using the wall to pull her way up, her face hurt exceptionally.

"I-Salazar Slytherin your face!" Bellatrix exclaimed, distracted as Andromeda was visible in the light. "Oh shit, no. Shit. Mother is going to see and then I am done for. Shit. You stupid idiot! Why did you hit the wall in the five seconds I crucioed you? Why would you do such a stupid thing?"

"Oh I'm sorry! I couldn't control myself as I was writhing in pain!" Andromeda yelled throwing her hands up. "You are unbelievable Bellatrix. Truly and incredibly unbelievable, do you ever stop thinking of yourself for five seconds?"

Bellatrix had stopped listening though, between her guilt for what she had done and the fear of the evidence on Andromeda's face that everyone would notice. She was completely screwed if she didn't think of something fast.

"I've got it! I'll tell mother you were not feeling well and you retired to your room. She will be so distracted with everything she won't check on you, not that she would anyways, it's mother after all, and you can fix it up." Bellatrix said, breathing a sigh of relief. "You just need to disappear in your room for the rest of the night.

"So I can save your ass? After you used an Unforgivable on me? Oddly enough I'm not that concerned for your wellbeing, Bellatrix." Andromeda remarked.

"If you don't I can easily do it again." Bellatrix threatened without thinking.

Andromeda looked at her in disbelief.

"Merlin's pants, what happened to you Bellatrix?" Andromeda asked appalled. "I don't even believe that you wouldn't. That should horrify you, but I can't help but feel that it gives you pride. You disgust me."

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow.

"Are you going to your room or not?" She asked, wand in hand.

"As I happen to like my brain intact and my body not writhing in pain, I guess I will." Andromeda said lowly, shaking her head in disbelief at her sister.

Andromeda didn't realize until she had gotten back to her room, and tried to clean up her face a bit that she had been given an out. She could still try and remedy the horror of this night by going to that party. She changed quickly, into muggle clothes that she figured were appropriate and made her way to the window, shoes in hand.

She glanced down the window and noted the cluster of vines and nearby tree that seemed to work perfectly for her means. She deserved a good night, and she would have one if it killed her, which, she noted as she looked down at the ground that seemed to stretch below her, it just might.

With one last glance she tossed her shoes onto the lawn below, swung a leg out of the window, and began her descent.


	10. Chapter Ten

There was something to be said about an impeccable memory. Andromeda was lucky enough to possess such a memory. It was for this reason why she could remember Charity Burbage's address precisely even though she had only been told it once.

The descent from her bedroom had been less than graceful and Andromeda was glad no one had been around to see it. The branch had snagged on her pantyhose and there was now an impressive tear. She was relatively disheveled, thanks to the tree as well, and she was still sporting a bruised face from her run in with Bellatrix.

When she had gotten to the edge of the Black property she had been met with the large fence that was for show more than anything else, as there were magical wards, and Andromeda had had to scale the fence, balancing her shoes. When she had finally managed to reach the top and hopped down to the other side she scraped her hands on the pavement.

Unable to apparate, she had been forced to take the Knights Bus, giving the address that she remembered with an astounding clarity even with her wine addled brain, where the wizard sitting next to her had been drinking coffee. At an abrupt halt, as the Knights Bus was apt to do, the coffee spilled and left an impressive stain on her skirt. In short, by the time Andromeda arrived at the party she had looked as though she had perhaps been hit by a bus.

She rang the doorbell and hoped someone could hear her over the music which pulsated through the door. A proper lady, even if she did not look like one, she was not comfortable just entering a home without first being invited in. Luckily, Hestia answered the door.

"Andromeda Black! Fancy seeing you here!" She proclaimed as soon as she identified the late party guest. "What happened to you?"

"It's a long story. May I come in? Perhaps be directed to a bathroom so I could tidy up?" Andromeda asked. "If someone could vanish this coffee stain that'd be brilliant as well."

"Looks like you went through hell to get here." Hestia observed.

"Something along those lines." Andromeda agreed with a laugh. "If you would be so kind?"

"Ah, of course." Hestia said taking out her wand and vanishing the coffee stain. "Please do come in. The bathroom is down the hall and to the left."

"Thank you." Andromeda said, heading off towards said bathroom.

Upon arrival, Andromeda noted an incredibly long queue and she let out a disgruntled sigh. Andromeda was not one for waiting in queues, and deciding for a quick pat down of her hair to attempt to smooth it out, she headed to the room where the music seemed to be coming from.

"Andromeda!" Charity cheered upon seeing her. "Glad to see you could make it. What happened to your face?"

"Bellatrix, mostly. A little bit of me, but mostly Bellatrix." Andromeda answered.

"Well, the alcohol is over there, the party is in here, there's a long queue for the bathroom so I hope you don't have to use it, and there is an assortment of people you may or may not know milling about." Charity summed up, gesturing to places as she went through the list. "How did you manage to get away from the thrilling ball anyways?"

"I faked sick, to be short about it." Andromeda said.

"That's how Molly got out of it too!" Charity exclaimed.

"Molly is here?" Andromeda asked in surprise. "I hadn't even noticed she wasn't at the ball."

"Yeah, she was over by the couch last I saw her. Pureblood ball must be super lame if you're all sneaking out." Charity joked before her attention was diverted. "Oh! I love this song! I'm going to dance. Bye!"

Andromeda waved and headed towards the couch where she found Molly sipping a drink and watching the teens dancing on the floor.

"Too cool for the Black ball, are you?" Andromeda joked by way of greeting making Molly jump.

"Andromeda! What are you doing here? How did you of all people manage to get away?" She asked in surprise. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it, just a minor flesh wound." Andromeda assured with a laugh. "I faked sick, oddly enough Bellatrix was more than happy to say I was sick after this happened."

"The minor flesh wound makes a bit more sense now that the name Bellatrix has been used." Molly stated making Andromeda feel oddly and irrationally annoyed. "I faked sick too. My parents are pretty gullible. Fabian and Gideon still had to go though, poor things. No offense, but the ball is a bit of a bore."

"No offense taken there. A party with people your own age certainly seems more fun." Andromeda agreed, swallowing her annoyance. "How old are Fabian and Gideon now? They have to be almost Hogwarts age?"

"They're first years." Molly said with a laugh. "I guess you are not that good at keeping tracking of everyone is society."

"Are they? What house did they get sorted into?" Andromeda asked in surprise. "I'm dreadful at keeping track. Who else joined this year? There was a Longbottom that age wasn't there?"

"Split, Fabian was in Gryffindor and Gideon got Ravenclaw. They were crushed. I think Fabian just pretends he got into Ravenclaw and hangs out there all the time." Molly answered. "Frank Longbottom, Ravenclaw too. He, Fabian, and Gideon are all friends. He was over our house just the other day actually."

"Do you know who's in next year? Zeddie Rowle is one of them. I know in two years the Potter boy will be joining. He'll probably get Gryffindor. Then my cousin of course, who will be Slytherin because all Blacks are Slytherin." Andromeda remarked.

"Or else. Imagine if he didn't get Slytherin, I would laugh so hard. A Black not in Slytherin is like a Weasley not in Gryffindor. It's just plain odd." Molly joked. "You've already got Zeddie, I think that Alice Fawley will be eleven next year too. Her older sister is a fourth year now. I'm pretty sure she will be a prefect next year so you two can become quite acquainted."

"Bernice Fawley, isn't it? I'll be on the lookout." Andromeda said. "I don't think we should even joke about Sirius not being a Slytherin; let's just say it wouldn't end well."

"What are you two talking about that has you so involved you've seem to forgotten the rest of the party?" Ted interrupted making both of them jump.

"Pureblood business." They both answered.

"I hadn't realized the Prewetts and Blacks ran in the same social circle." Ted remarked.

"We're purebloods. We all run in the same circle. There's only one, there's not much choice." Andromeda stated. "Unless if you're a Weasley. The Weasleys are such rebels."

"Your family philosophies seem so different though?" Ted asked in confusion.

"Pureblood politics." Molly said with a shrug. "A purebloods a pureblood, even if they aren't as hardcore as the Blacks. Unless if you're a Weasley. For all intents and purposes the Weasleys are the exception to every rule."

"It will all be ending soon though. With the Knights the lines are slowly being drawn." Andromeda said. "Which side are the Prewetts picking?"

"I can't be sure about my parents, but the newest generation is all going to the Weasley side. I'm not looking forward to when it comes to that though. It means a war will be inevitable." Molly answered.

"I met the leader of the Knights tonight, I'm pretty sure a war is the only way he sees this ending in his favour." Andromeda stated plainly.

"You what?" Molly and Ted asked at the same time.

"There's a reason Bellatrix did this to my face." Andromeda bit.

"I was wondering about that, but I didn't want to say anything and make you feel self-conscious." Ted remarked.

"You are so kind." Andromeda replied, words dripping with sarcasm.

"Well I could have said, my God what is that throbbing lump protruding from the right side of your face, it's positively disfiguring. Would you have preferred that?" Ted suggested a smile on his face.

"Obviously." Andromeda retorted.

"I'll be sure to be more honest and direct in the future then, taking no account for your feelings." Ted joked.

"I appreciate that very much, thank you. It's all I have ever wanted, all this time." Andromeda replied. "Thinly veiled insults are all I know."

"I will try to be more accommodating in the future."

"Will you two please put a halt to whatever this is that's happening right now. As interesting as it is I'd like to hear about this Knights of Walpurgis meeting Andromeda apparently attended." Molly interrupted rolling her eyes.

"So would I actually." Ted remarked as if just remembering. "Stop trying to distract us."

"You two, so interested in drama." Andromeda scoffed.

"You haven't seen your face. I'm pretty sure it plays into this story somehow." Molly pointed out.

"I would have been able to if there hadn't been a long queue for the bathroom." Andromeda retorted. "Is it really that bad?"

"No." Ted and Molly answered at once. "Hardly even noticeable."

"Aww, look at you two, lying to me. You are so kind." Andromeda said. "It's weird. Please stop, I'm not used to friendliness."

"The life of a Black." Molly remarked. "Now stop prattling on about your face and explain yourself. Why did you go to a Knights of Walpurgis meeting?"

"Well, I am quite certain if I hadn't Bellatrix might have murdered me." Andromeda started.

"That's not that surprising actually." Ted pointed out. "I wouldn't put it past her."

"She is my sister you know." Andromeda replied, raising an eyebrow. "You guys are being awfully rude about her."

"Not without reason. If you need a good explanation look in a mirror." Molly exclaimed.

"Merlin's Beard, I should have just sat in my room all night. Everyone's going to be talking about Andromeda Black and her disfigured face." Andromeda said with a sigh. "I don't even know why I'm defending Bella honestly, she crossed a line tonight. It's just this weird sister loyalty, I guess."

"That's me with pretty much everyone. Maybe there's a little bit of Hufflepuff in you yet." Ted joked.

"Digression aside, basically Bellatrix dragged me to the meeting, there was a fight, I got formally and permanently banned from the Knights, then Bellatrix flipped out and this happened." Andromeda summed up gesturing to her face.

"Was the fight between Walden MacNair and Theodore Nott?" Molly asked knowingly.

"Ten points to Gryffindor." Andromeda answered.

"Was it about you?" Molly asked with a laugh.

"I don't want to talk about." Andromeda replied, covering her face with her hand.

"I'm not following?" Ted asked in confusion.

Molly laughed louder as Andromeda groaned into her hand.

"I do not want to talk about it." Andromeda muttered.

Ted raised an eyebrow curiously as Molly seemed to double over with laughter.

"Is this the funniest story ever or does Molly just not understand humour?" He asked after a few seconds had passed.

"She just has a poor grasp on humour." Andromeda answered at once. "It's a stupid story, really, you don't want to hear it. It is all just boring pureblood politics."

"No, it's great." Molly gasped out. "I think it was one of the best days of my life when I heard. This was back before I liked Andromeda though, that made it even better."

"Thank you for taking joy from my pain." Andromeda bit.

"Anytime." Molly said with a smile.

"This is only making me want to know the story more." Ted pointed out.

"Get me a drink and I will shed some light on the matter, even though it pains me." Andromeda relented.

Ted smiled a victorious smile before disappearing across the room.

"You're going to make me tell it, aren't you?" Molly asked knowingly.

"As I am in denial that the fiasco ever happened, yes." Andromeda informed her.

"I can't believe they got in a fight over you during their racist meeting." Molly remarked.

"In my defense it was more than just that, it started out about the MacNairs not being purebloods and then it just snowballed from there." Andromeda explained. "Then Walden stood up in outrage and dropped me on the floor and neither of them noticed because they are both such wonderful men."

"Were you sitting on Walden's lap?" Molly asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It was not a proud moment. He practically forced me." Andromeda defended. "How did you get out of an arranged marriage? You debuted just like me."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm engaged to Gregory Abbot, at least officially. He is in a pretty serious relationship with some half-blood though and we all know I'm with Arthur so I am pretty positive it is never happening." Molly answered.

"Lucky." Andromeda whined.

"Who's lucky?" Ted asked returning and handing both Andromeda and Molly a drink.

"Molly." Andromeda answered. "She is the luckiest pureblood in the world."

"Because she's dating me, right?" Arthur asked interrupting the group and kissing his girlfriend on the cheek. "Looking as radiant as ever, Andromeda."

"I try." Andromeda retorted.

"Can I know the MacNair and Nott story now?" Ted pestered.

Arthur immediately burst out laughing.

"This must be the best story ever." Ted remarked.

"It's not." Andromeda deadpanned.

"It is though." Arthur assured.

"I wish someone would tell it to me already so I could be enlightened." Ted pointed out.

Andromeda looked at Molly.

"You realize if I tell it it's going to come out in a way you won't appreciate." Molly said.

"I honestly don't care. I am going to sit here, tune you out, and focus on whatever this is in this glass." Andromeda answered.

"Why are we talking about Walden and Theodore anyways?" Arthur inquired.

"Andromeda got dragged to a Knights meeting and they got into a fight which resulted in her getting permanently banned, to her joy." Molly explained.

"Oh. We all know what it was about then, eh?" Arthur said.

"All of us except for me." Ted exclaimed exasperated.

"Fine Ted, let me explain it to you." Molly said. "If you must know so badly, the MacNairs and Notts have had this long feud that no one knows what about. The MacNairs said some things and the Notts said some worse things, including saying the MacNairs weren't purebloods, and it has been extremely tense between them for years. Then one day during the pureblood debutant season, where the females get brought formally into society and then the men all fawn over them, Walden MacNair and Theodore Nott both went for the same girl."

Andromeda groaned mournfully into her drink.

"It was probably the best season ever. They got into what, six, seven fights?" Molly continued ignoring Andromeda who held up seven fingers in answer. "By the end of the season it was time for the guys to talk to the girls' fathers and tension was high. By some stroke of insane luck Walden MacNair managed to get to the girl's father first and seeing as the girl had made no interest into any suitors known and said father basically ran the Ministry so he missed most society events he wasn't aware there were multiple suitors and he agreed which basically cemented the Notts hate for the MacNairs."

"I'm surprised they can even be in the same room together." Arthur observed.

"Oh! I almost forgot, then the Notts decided to place said girl at the children's table at the Easter Ball in their anger the next year and Mrs. Black was absolutely livid. Now the Blacks hate the Notts and the Notts get the worst seats at pureblood events. Isn't that why Bellatrix hates Persimmon so much?" Molly finished.

"That was the only time mother ever stood up for me." Andromeda stated. "I had no idea she even liked me before that."

"They both got in a fight over you again Andromeda?" Arthur asked.

"No. It started about lineage it only escalated to me." Andromeda defended. "That is when Theodore Nott punched Walden in the face though."

"They had a full out brawl?" Molly asked trying to refrain from laughter.

"I think he broke Walden's nose. I probably would have been happy were it not for being dropped on the floor." Andromeda answered. "They are both such asses."

"Dropped to the floor?" Arthur asked. "How did that happen?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Andromeda said quickly. "Ted, you are a stand up chap for not laughing at my misfortune. Nicest bloke I've had the fortune of being around all evening."

"What? Oh. Yeah. Maybe it's less funny to me because I don't know them?" Ted declared startling as if out of a reverie.

"If you knew them you would probably be overjoyed that he broke Walden's nose. Walden is such a vile person, no offense Andromeda." Molly remarked.

"You do not have to apologize to me. I am perfectly aware." Andromeda replied. "All right, I came here to have fun and oddly enough rehashing my horrible evening isn't doing it for me. I heard there was weird muggle music to dance to? Anyone care to dance?"

"Maybe in a bit." Molly said, smiling at Arthur who took Andromeda's vacated seat.

"Edward?" Andromeda offered.

"Yeah, all right." Ted agreed getting up from the arm of the chair.

"Oh Godric. Be careful Andromeda, Ted is what we like to call in the most loving terms, a walking disaster. Especially on the dance floor." Arthur warned.

"Thanks mate." Ted said, giving Arthur a fake thumbs up.

"It's not my fault you are the clumsiest being on the Earth, Ted." Arthur remarked.

"I can't argue with you there." Ted relented before turning to Andromeda and shrugging. "As long as you're willing to risk it?"

"The only music I have ever danced to have been at balls. I wouldn't know if you were bad even if you hit me in the face." Andromeda said as Ted laughed. "Come along Ted, let us go dance horribly for the world to see."

"Oi, Andromeda! You don't waltz to this kind of music, just a tip." Molly called after them.

"Thank you for the tip." Andromeda replied sarcastically. "I had no idea at all."

Andromeda and Ted found themselves a good part of the dance floor where they could dance horribly to their hearts content and only hit a few people. Ted was, as Arthur had predicted, a terrible dancer. Andromeda, who only had Ted's example to follow, was not much better.

"I have no idea how you are supposed to dance to this music." Andromeda declared as the song changed.

"I mostly borrow moves from Adam West." Ted replied with a laugh.

"Who?"

"You know, your lack of muggle knowledge is beginning to become a barrier in our friendship." Ted joked.

"In my defense, it is not my fault you are muggle-born." Andromeda teased.

"Ha. Adam West is an actor; he plays Batman in this television show." Ted explained. "Batman does this dance called the Batusi."

"It's nice you're trying to explain and all, but it might be easier for you to save your breath. I don't understand a single thing you are saying." Andromeda remarked.

"One of these days I am going to give you a proper muggle-born education." Ted declared.

"Is that a threat?" Andromeda teased.

"It will be if you continue to fail to understand any of my jokes. Muggle jokes are all I have you know." Ted said.

"That is just sad." Andromeda replied, shaking her head pitifully at her.

"Says the girl whose jokes are all borderline racist." Ted retorted.

"Well you have me there." Andromeda admitted laughing. "What are you _doing?_"

Ted was currently moving his arms in a noodle-like fashion in beat to the music, Andromeda who was following a nearby girl's swimming-like dancing paused, mid step to stare at Ted who was completely ignoring everyone else's version of dancing.

"Nobody knows. Most people just go with it." Ted replied laughing, refusing to stop his odd dance.

"If you can't beat them, join them." Andromeda said with a shrug, before abandoning the strange swim-dance and joining Ted in his odd flailing movement.

"Adam West danced like this in an episode you know." Ted declared.

"You are really fond of this Adam West bloke, aren't you?" Andromeda inquired amused.

"He's funny." Ted explained. "Plus he gets my dancing style."

"Is that what you are calling it these days?" Andromeda joked.

"Just because it isn't good doesn't mean it's not a style." Ted pointed out. "Besides, who has to be good when this is more fun?"

"It certainly beats waltzing any day." Andromeda agreed. "The foxtrot too for that matter."

"You are really practiced in all those slow dances, huh?"

"Considering I started learning when I was seven, I am quite adept, yes. Even better than Narcissa maybe and that is saying something." Andromeda bragged.

"I'm horrible at that kind of slow dancing, two left feet and all that." Ted admitted laughing at himself.

"I get the feeling you might be horrible at all types of dancing." Andromeda teased.

"Except the Batusi." Ted declared.

"Except the Batusi." Andromeda agreed laughing.

They danced in silence for a few seconds, Ted singing along quietly to himself, before the song changed again and Ted's face lit up.

"The Pony! Brilliant! This one is so much fun." He declared as soon as the song started up.

"Pardon?" Andromeda asked in confusion. "Did you just say 'The Pony'?"

"It's a dance. Just follow my lead. You'll catch on." Ted declared beginning to move his arms in an odd motion and walking forward.

"You muggles and your weird dances." Andromeda muttered following Ted's lead and walking the other way.

"Are you telling me you and your roommates have never put the radio on in your dorm and danced?" Ted asked in disbelief.

"No. Have you?" Andromeda asked in equal disbelief.

"There's pretty much always music on in my dorm." Ted answered.

"Weird." Andromeda commented. "My roommates don't like me much so I doubt they would want to dance with me even if we did play music."

"A Black? Disliked in her own circle?" Ted joked in shock.

"That's part of the reason they don't like me." Andromeda pointed out. "If they are purebloods, they think I think I am above them and if they are half-bloods they are probably afraid to talk to me."

"That's actually really sad." Ted said, smiling falling.

"It doesn't help that one time I dyed Lieselot Selwyn's hair purple because she said the Falmouth Falcons were a subpar team." Andromeda observed.

"What?" Ted asked, looking at Andromeda in disbelief. "You did what?"

"I made a hair dye potion and put it in her shampoo bottle. Purple is her least favorite color and looks horrible on her." Andromeda said innocently. "It was her own fault for insulting the Falcons. Not to mention she said Kevin Broadmoor was the worst player the Quidditch Federation had ever seen."

"I don't know if I should be disappointed in you or impressed." Ted stated.

"I would rather impressed, if you can swing it." Andromeda replied blithely.

"I think I can manage." Ted decided offering a smile.

"So this dance, do we just wave our arms about in front of us like idiots and walk back and forth or-ow!" Andromeda began to ask before someone's arm connected with her face.

"It wasn't me." Ted said at once, as if used to being blamed, and then after a second. "Are you all right?"

"This is just the worst night to be my face, isn't it?" Andromeda asked in exasperation.

"I'm sure it's seen better." Ted agreed, looking at Andromeda in concern. "Do you want to get away from the crowd and inspect the damage?"

"Yes, please." Andromeda replied sticking her left arm out for Ted to lead her as her right arm grasped her face.

They went through the hallway, turned left, through another hallway, and ended up in the kitchen where less people were milling about.

"Here, sit on the counter and let me look at your face." Ted ordered, gesturing to said counter.

Andromeda, despite the pain in her face looked at him aghast.

"What?" Ted asked in confusion. "Oh for Merlin's-it's against some propriety to sit on counters isn't it?"

"Obviously." Andromeda bit, as if Ted was insane for not realizing it.

"Look, Andromeda, I can assure you this household will experience worse than you sitting on the kitchen counter for five seconds tonight." Ted assured.

As if to prove his point, one of the few people in the kitchen leaned over and promptly threw up. Ted lifted his arm towards said person as if to say 'see' but Andromeda continued to look defiant, or as defiant as one can look when their hand is covering up their face.

"You're going to make me do this the hard way, aren't you?" Ted asked challengingly.

Andromeda raised an eyebrow.

"All right then, but remember that when you are looking over this night and reviewing all your shameful moments, that you forced this to happen." Ted declared, absolving himself from all responsibility.

"What are you blathering on about?" Andromeda asked her voice slightly muffled.

Instead of responding Ted picked Andromeda up and placed her on the counter, a look of triumph on his face. Andromeda was thrown. After a few seconds she managed to compose herself, having not expected to be picked up.

"Talk about lack of propriety." She declared, adjusting on the counter.

"Hand." He ordered.

"I don't think it's bad, just hurts." Andromeda said, removing her hand.

Ted leaned forward and examined the right side of her face.

"I can't tell if it's bad or if that's just the mark from before." He said with a laugh.

"You guys have commented on my face so much I am beginning to imagine I have grown a second head." Andromeda stated laughing slightly, only to find it hurt.

"Nah, not that bad. Just a little bump." Ted assured. "And some dried blood."

"What?" Andromeda asked turning in shock and knocking into Ted's face. "What do you mean dried blood?"

"Ow." Ted said rubbing his head. "Stop hitting things with your face, especially my face."

"I have hit my face against so many things today that barely even registered." Andromeda declared. "You're fine though, no damage."

"That's good, we should really only have one person walking around with face injuries at parties. Otherwise it will start to look like a theme." Ted joked, rubbing his face.

"I wouldn't mind someone else joining me in the face disfiguration club, actually." Andromeda said. "Especially if there is dried blood on my face? You probably should have mentioned that bit before."

"I thought you knew." Ted explained shrugging. "You can clean the dried blood off though. It's not a permanent fixture to the war zone that is your face right now."

"Uplifting, that. Never had my face described as a war zone before." Andromeda said sarcastically.

"I meant it in a humorous way. It really isn't that bad." Ted assured. "Here let me get you a towel and some water, so you can stop walking around with dried blood on your face."

"Grand. Not only can I sit on Charity's counter but I can also get blood all over her towel. I can tell I will be invited back to more parties, being such a great guest and all." Andromeda declared rolling her eyes.

"Would you prefer to walk around with dried blood on your face?" Ted asked, raising a brow.

"My mother would be sputtering on her tea in disgrace right now." Andromeda replied by means of answer. "Although, I suppose she would have fainted if she had found I snuck out to a muggle-born party in the first place, so it can't get much worse, can it?"

"I don't think so." Ted agreed with a laugh. "Don't worry about the towels though, Charity's parents keep some extra towels and bandages in here strictly for the purpose of mopping up blood."

"Charity never struck me as the clumsy type." Andromeda observed slightly surprised.

"Oh, she's not. I'm just over here quite a bit." Ted said a proud smile on his face. "They call it the Ted Drawer actually. I had no idea until one day Mrs. Burbage cut her finger while chopping carrots and she asked Charity to fetch a bandage from the Ted Drawer. Quite a thing to have named after you, innit?"

"That is brilliant." Andromeda remarked. "I have never had anything named after me before. Maybe my mother will start referring to being a disappointment as 'pulling an Andromeda'. That could be fun."

"I'm beginning to sense that you and your mum don't get on." Ted observed, rifling through the drawer.

"Let me put it this way, the first words my mother said to me when I got home was, 'Andromeda have you been going in for second dinners' followed by 'You seem to have grown, as if you weren't tall enough.'" Andromeda explained rolling her eyes. "I believe her exact words actually were, 'Your skirt seems to have gotten shorter. Are you whoring yourself out to the boys of Hogwarts?'"

"Your descriptions of your mother continue to impress me. She is possibly the nicest woman I have heard described." Ted remarked.

"The grandest." Andromeda agreed. "Now that I think about it I haven't had a proper meal since before holiday. What do they have by way of food here?"

"Check the fridge. Charity is pretty open on the 'take what you want and please don't bother me when I am snogging with my girlfriend for the last time Ted' front." Ted said gesturing to the fridge as he wet the towel.

"Speaking from personal experience there?" Andromeda inquired amused.

"Maybe a little." Ted said smiling cheekily. "I expect you to sit back on the counter when you're done getting food, by the way."

"You realize there are chairs?" Andromeda asked, rolling her eyes as she observed the food.

"Yeah but they are so short. Then I would have to hunch over. If you sit on the counter we're eye level." Ted complained.

"Don't ever say I'm not accommodating." Andromeda replied. "Are they saving this champagne for anything or is it just back up? I didn't get to enjoy my wine before as I was trying not to get myself killed in front of a bunch of deadly racists."

"Pretty sure it's just back up." Ted said with a shrug. "We can't be blamed for the disappearance even if it's not."

"Aren't you Hufflepuffs supposed to feel really guilty about any little offense you may have caused someone?" Andromeda asked turning from the fridge with the food and champagne.

"If you knew Charity as well as I did you would understand my lack of guilt." Ted remarked. "Glasses are in the top cupboard over there."

"I think we'll be found out if we use the fancy glasses. How many people here know where they are?" Andromeda whispered conspiratorially.

"We'll just wash them before Charity even notices they're missing." Ted said with a shrug.

"I do not know who you think you're talking to, but I don't wash dishes." Andromeda said, pulling a face of disgust.

"Your house elves do it for you?" Ted asked with a laugh.

"Why do I get the idea you're making fun of me?" Andromeda pouted.

"Might be because I am."

"Rude."

"If you are done raiding the stores, you might want to get the blood off your face." Ted said, gesturing to the counter.

"What has become of me, opening other people's fridges, sitting on tables, washing dishes? Next you will want me to take my shoes off." Andromeda exclaimed as she hopped back up on the counter. "You are a bad influence Edward Tonks."

"First time I've been called that." Ted observed, smile tugging at his lips.

"It is a night for firsts: first time I snuck out, first muggle party, first and last Knights' meeting, first Unforgiveable." Andromeda observed with a laugh. "First time that you have been called a bad influence."

"What?" Ted asked, hand poised right over Andromeda's face, towel in hand.

"You know I can wash my own face, right?" Andromeda asked amused.

"You can't even see where the blood is." Ted said waving her off. "What was that about Unforgiveables?"

"Pardon?" Andromeda said. "Oh, I should really pay more attention to what I'm saying. I usually do, see, bad influence. It was nothing, don't worry about it."

Ted raised an eyebrow.

"How did you think I got this apparently incredible bump on my head? Let alone bleeding. Impressive really, no wonder Bellatrix was so freaked out." Andromeda commented, working on opening the champagne. "Isn't it funny how you can be bleeding and not even notice? I don't even bleed that often, you think I'd have noticed."

"What." Ted repeated hand still poised over Andromeda's face.

"Champagne?" Andromeda offered, pouring a glass for him.

"Are you saying Bellatrix used an Unforgiveable on you?" Ted asked all sense of the earlier joking gone from his voice.

"Cruciatus, to be specific." Andromeda said nonchalantly. "You know, I am trying to be very calm and easygoing about this because you seem like you are on the verge of a mental breakdown but it doesn't seem to be working, so you should really drink this champagne. It helps quell the shock and anger, I promise."

Ted blinked.

"If you're just going to stand there with that towel for the next five minutes, then can I please wash my own face? The towel is dripping on me and I only just destained this skirt." Andromeda continued. "I would really appreciate it if you drank some champagne."

"And you're completely fine with that?" Ted asked voice flat.

"No, Bellatrix crossed a line, but I would rather have fun tonight and deal with it later. Trust me; there will probably be a fight about it later." Andromeda replied. "In the current moment however there is dried blood on my face that I'd like to get off so if we could focus on that I'd appreciate it."

"All right." Ted said pressing the towel against her face. "For the record though, not okay with it."

"Your concern is appreciated. I have it covered though so you don't have to do anything stupid. Also if we could keep the telling people about this down to no one that would be brilliant. I only accidentally just said it now." Andromeda replied. "Now drink the champagne."

"Would you stop trying to get me drunk?" Ted said with a laugh back to his old self, Andromeda let out a breath of relief.

"If you get drunk off champagne then you have a pretty weak tolerance." Andromeda retorted wincing slightly as Ted pressed against her head.

"That depends on how much you try and get me to drink." Ted pointed out, taking the champagne despite it.

"Cheers." Andromeda replied lifting her own glass. "How much dried blood is there? Merlin."

"A bit more than I let on maybe." Ted admitted. "This is brilliant though, you'll get to experience muggle medicine."

"Thrilling." Andromeda deadpanned.

"You can act uninterested but I know you are secretly elated at the chance." Ted remarked smirking.

"What is hydrogen peroxide?" Andromeda asked picking up the brown bottle Ted had laid on the counter next to some plaster.

"Cleans out wounds." Ted replied focused on the side of her head.

"Weird muggle technology." Andromeda muttered turning the bottle over and examining

"If you're done examining the bottle can I have it?" Ted asked holding his hand out expectantly.

Andromeda handed it over. Ted picked up a cotton ball off the table and tipped the bottle over before pressing the cotton ball against the small cut on Andromeda's head.

"Bloody hell." Andromeda exclaimed. "Is it customary for muggles to harm the person they are trying to help?"

"I forgot to warn you about the sting." Ted realized trying to hold back his laughter. "Usually people know to expect it."

"I would take wizarding medicine any day." Andromeda decided as Ted applied the plaster.

"It is superior." Ted agreed. "Bit rude they don't share it actually."

"Ever since the muggles burned us at the stake we have been a bit wary. Probably an overreaction though." Andromeda replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Talk about holding a grudge." Ted said. "Oddly enough I think the muggle population may have changed their views over time. We're a lot less 'burn people at the stake'-y nowadays. Don't be so racist."

"An empire isn't built in a day, Edward." Andromeda retorted taking a sip of her champagne. "That is pretty forward thinking though, wizards are having issues coping with muggle-borns, you're going to try and get us to co-exist with muggles?"

Ted shrugged.

"What is going on in here?" A voice interrupted from the doorway causing Ted to turn around.

"Long story." Andromeda answered at once. "Care for some champagne?"

"Yeah all right. Are we using the fancy glasses?" Xenophilius agreed glancing at the glasses.

"Andromeda is a high class broad. She refused to drink out of a solo cup." Ted said at once, cleaning up the medical supplies.

"That is exactly what happened. Thank you for painting me in such a flattering light." Andromeda replied.

"Any time."

"Not to point out the obvious but have you had an encounter with any enraged garden gnomes lately?" Xenophilius asked glancing at Andromeda.

* * *

><p>The night wore on and Andromeda danced some, she ate some, socialized some, and drank some. It was the most fun she had possibly ever had, or at least had recently. Certainly more fun than her mother's ball had promised to be. She was dancing with Hestia and Charity, considerably different than dancing with Ted as Ted was more of a sporadic dancer whereas Hestia and Charity actually knew some moves, when Charity glanced at her watch and abruptly walked away.<p>

"Where is she going?" Andromeda asked in surprise.

"Almost midnight." Hestia answered glancing at her own watch. "She probably went to put on the radio so we can count down along. I should follow her actually, New Year's kiss and all that."

"Brilliant." Andromeda declared as she was left alone surrounded by almost strangers.

The music stopped suddenly and a few people groaned. The radio could be heard replacing the hi-fi.

"Sorry everyone, but it's almost midnight." Charity said over the crowd. "Partner up, yeah?"

People shuffled about looking for good partners and Andromeda shoved this and that way as everyone jockeyed for their desired kissing partners. Within seconds the time was upon them.

"Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six." Everyone chanted simultaneously along with the radio. "Five. Four. Three. Two…One. Happy New Year!"

As was customary everyone turned to the person next to them and embraced in the traditional New Year's kiss. Andromeda, glad for once that she would not have to kiss Walden turned to the person next to her and smiled, glad she at least knew who it was. She stood up on her tip toes and placed her lips against his for a brief second, hand threading through his blonde hair. To her surprise he was actually a rather good kisser. After a few seconds she pulled away and smiled up at him.

"Happy New Years, Andromeda." He said.

"Happy New Years, Xenophilius." She replied, smile on her face.

The year was officially 1969 and even if no one was quite yet aware, it would be a year to go down in history.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Everything was a bit hazy. Her journey back home to the Black Manor was a lot blurrier than she recalled the trip to Charity's home being. She regretted, perhaps, that one last glass of champagne she had undertaken per Molly's request. The Knight's Bus had been a wonder itself, the fast turns and abrupt halts had all but made Andromeda lose the food she had gluttonously devoured at the party in her excitement for once not being watched by her mother's sharp eye. She regretted the sheer amount of hors d'oeuvres she had eaten as well.

The Knight's Bus, however, had been the least trialing part of her journey. She had not realized, until she had arrived, that she would once again have to scale the ornamental gate that separated the rest of the road from the property, but also climb up the tree that had almost been her undoing upon her escape. She was thus, starring up at the gate with a sense of dread and confusion as she tried to imagine a way to get herself back to her room.

Perhaps, she concluded, she ought not to have spurned Ted's offer to assist her home. She had pointed out he would not be the safest on a pureblood estate, and she still thought that was a good assessment of the fact, but as she looked up at the large gate that loomed before her she could not help but wistfully recall Ted's height and faint grasp of sobriety. She was absolutely certain that she would gauge herself upon one of the spikes that sat upon the very top. She, perhaps unfairly, blamed her mother for her predicament, finding it was her mother who had probably insisted on the sharp spike, for show as it were.

Swallowing any last regrets, Andromeda began a blurry climb up the gates, jamming her feet into any hole she could find. Not too long after she began, and stumbled a bit up the gate, clumsier than she had been when she was scaling to escape, Andromeda reached the top. She looked at the spikes with a sense of foreboding, imagining the worst. It was almost inevitable that they would cut her, Andromeda would just have to try and minimize the damage. This was not easy, however, due to her relatively intoxicated state and lack of motor skills. How had she let herself get so besotted anyways?

Taking the plunge, Andromeda grasped the base of the spikes and tried to lift herself over. She was successful, in that she made it over, but less successful in preserving her own wellbeing. Her skirt caught on one of the spikes and Andromeda, awkwardly positioned on the other side, tried to wrestle herself free. She managed it, just barely, and her skirt ripped, startling Andromeda as she stumbled against the gate, barely holding on at the sudden force. Dimly Andromeda hoped that there was no remaining fabric on the top of the gate from where her skirt had ripped. She went to check, but in her attempt to free herself she had momentarily lost grip of the gate and fallen, grasping back on lower than she had at first realized. In short, the spikes were no longer in her reach.

Although aware that a single piece of fabric left behind could be her undoing, the thing that tipped her mother off of her late night excursion, Andromeda could not bring herself to climb back up the gate to the spikes to check to be sure if they were all free of any scrap fabric. It seemed, when she looked up at the top of the gate, to stretch up forever, perhaps aided by her unclear mind, and Andromeda decided it was altogether pointless.

She finished her descent down the rest of the gate and found, to her own satisfaction, that she had come out of the event relatively unscathed. Now she would just have to make up the tree, through the window, and her nice bed would be waiting for her. The thought of her bed is what kept her going. She began the trek across the expansive land, cursing the large estate in her mind, when she realized, to her own alarm, that the guests of the ball were only just vacating her home. They were trickling out, slowly and drunkenly, to where the cleared apparition point was on the expanse of lawn. This point was, of course, in direct eyesight of the path she had to take and therefore she would be seen. Andromeda groaned at her misfortune.

Even in her poorly functioning state, Andromeda was still a thinker and she began to devise a way to get back inside. Perhaps, she concluded if she doubled around and followed the edge of trees on the property then she could make her way back to her window unseen. Disgruntled, she began her journey back down the hill and towards the edge of the property. She made it to the trees and began to pass from tree to tree. She had not taken into account, however, how close the trees passed to this apparition point and, with a sharp intake of breath Andromeda neared terrifyingly close to some of the witches and wizards who had been in attendance. They were gathered about a port key, apparently too drunk to trust themselves to apparate, and were all chatting amiably.

Andromeda stopped behind a tree and poked her head out slightly, watching to see when they would be paying the least attention. To her dismay there was always a wizard positioned just so that they would catch her if she tried to cross to the next tree. Wishing she could just be back in her bed, asleep and happy, Andromeda tried to think of a way out of this jam. She supposed, given the state of these wizards, that they were drunk enough to not be believed if they saw a movement in between the trees, or to write it off themselves. She would have to hope, at least, that they would not at once presume to investigate. She surveyed the group one last time, before picking the optimal moment to go. She crouched down and began an army like crawl between the two trees, keeping an eye at all times on the assembled group who were still trying to negotiate the portkey between them.

Letting out a breath of relief Andromeda stood up against the tree and stuck her head out slightly once again. The witches and wizards had finally made it out but another group was coming from the ballroom. To her dismay part of this group included not only Walden MacNair, but Persimmon Nott and her brother Theodore as well. Andromeda admired, despite herself, how well Walden was getting on with the two Notts considering they had only just gotten in a fight a few hours back.

"But do you think she's all right?" She heard Walden ask, loudly and drunk.

"Just ill is what Bellatrix said." Theodore replied, equally as loud.

Andromeda realized with a feeling or misplaced flattery that they were concerned about her. She ducked back behind the tree and held her breath, stupidly perhaps as there was almost no chance that they would see her.

"D'you think she'll be cross about before though?" Walden continued genuine concern etching into his voice.

"If I remember correctly, she will definitely be cross." Another voice remarked.

Andromeda whipped her head out from behind the tree to match the voice to the face, and to her shock found it was Charles Parkinson. What were the chances?

Andromeda was about ready to give up hope and wait until they all left, before being overcome with the overriding need to pee. The amount of alcohol and various other drinks she had consumed in the evening had finally worked their way into her bladder and she winced against the tree, hating her life. She had no choice, she would have to try and make it to the next tree now.

Taking in a big gulp of air Andromeda began her army crawl once more between the trees, trying to be as quiet as possible. She was, of course, still drunk and clumsier than usual, and so she was unsuccessful.

"Oi. Did you see that?" Walden asked, cutting off Persimmon and looking exactly where Andromeda had stumbled over a stick.

Andromeda stared back, wide eyed, unsure to keep going or to wait it out.

"See what?" Theodore Nott replied looking over to where Walden was gesturing.

"Something moved over there." Walden proclaimed taking a step forward. "We ought to check it out."

Charles and Theodore shrugged and took a step forward as well, to Andromeda's horror. Andromeda stared for a few seconds before her fight or flight instincts kicked in, and abandoning all sense of self-preservation got up, remaining slightly stooped, and began to run as if her life depended on it. Tripping over sticks and rocks as she went.

"The fuck was that?" Walden declared, eyes wide.

Andromeda, for good measure, let out an animal-esque noise, attempting to imitate the call of a hippogriff. The effect, although not very similar to a hippogriff, was terrifying enough to hold the wizards back for a second.

"Should we follow it…?" Theodore Nott asked unsure at Andromeda's retreating figure.

"I don't bloody think so." Charles replied at once. "I'm not going after some hell-spawn."

"Definitely not." Walden agreed casting a wary eye at the spot Andromeda had emerged from.

Andromeda, panting, reached the tree that sat outside her window and, still assuming the boys had given chase, jumped at the tree, grasping onto a branch and pulling herself off. She took this opportunity, seemingly safe, to check and see if any of them had followed after her. Upon finding that they had not, she allowed herself a few seconds to regain her breath before beginning to climb the tree. She reached the branch and made her way slowly towards her window, so close she could almost taste it.

She reached the end of the branch, and terrified she might lose her balance, carefully stood up before leaping towards her open window, hoping beyond hope that she would make it safely to the other side. To her disbelief, she landed safely on the plush carpet of her room and had to refrain from letting out a whoop of relief. She turned around, closed the window as it was freezing, before speeding off to the bathroom to pee and take into stock the horror she was sure was her appearance.

* * *

><p>At least the winter holiday had ended and Andromeda found herself back on the Hogwarts Express sitting in a compartment with Bellatrix. It was incredible for her to look back and think of how only three months prior she had boarded this train with Bellatrix closer than best friends. Only three months back they had been inseparable almost and now, after a series of unfortunate events she wished she were anywhere but in that compartment, sitting across from Bellatrix who looked like she would occasionally try to open her mouth to say something, apologize maybe, only to shut it again and continue to stare at the wall.<p>

Andromeda was looking pointedly out of the window wondering what her friends were up to in their own compartment. She imagined it was more fun than the awkward air that filled her own. Andromeda and Bellatrix had not talked since the incident and Andromeda didn't see herself forgiving her sister anytime in the near future. Bellatrix, still feeling guilty about going too far, had tried to speak up to her sister but had not been able to due to her Black pride. It did not help that in her heart of hearts still believed she had been in the right, even if she had been wrong to use the Unforgiveable. She had not been incorrect to chastise Andromeda, and as Andromeda did not seem to show any sort of regret over her actions Bellatrix would not give her the satisfaction of cracking first.

Andromeda glanced at her watch and saw to her relief it was time for the Prefects Meeting. She did not particularly enjoy the mundane meetings, but considering a number of her growing friends were prefects and it meant she could leave the compartment where Bellatrix continued to remain stoic; she looked forward to it with a weird sort of glee.

"Prefects meeting." She said to the compartment, the most words she had said to Bellatrix since the incident before getting up and leaving.

A weight seemed to have lifted almost as soon as Andromeda left the compartment. She hadn't realized just how tense she felt within the compartment with Bellatrix. She hoped that it wouldn't be so tense for the rest of the year, although soon Bellatrix would be graduating and getting married and Andromeda technically wouldn't have to see her ever again. It was odd that, three months past she had looked on Bellatrix's graduation and marriage with a sense of sadness. She still did, if she was honest with herself, but she also felt a sense of relief, aware of how much more freedom she would have without Bellatrix breathing down her neck nonstop.

She arrived at the Prefect's Meeting earlier than she had realized and for once had prime seating. She sat down next to Persimmon and was sure to steer clear of Penelope Penrose, who was once again emitting more perfume than any human being could ever need. Andromeda felt bad for whoever ended up sitting next to her.

"Andromeda." Persimmon said once she was seated. "I think you might have some demon spawn living at your estate."

"Well, I know Bellatrix is perhaps a bit angry but I do think that is going a bit far." Andromeda replied confused by the sudden comment.

"Not your sister." Persimmon said laughing slightly. "When I was living the ball on New Year's there was this weird animal and it made this weird sound. Kind of like a dying hippogriff?"

Andromeda tried not to laugh.

"How odd." She remarked frowning. "I didn't hear anything. My window is fairly close to the apparition point, you'd think I'd have heard."

"Well, you were sick, weren't you? You might have been asleep." Persimmon mused. "You are looking much better by the way, I'm glad you got over whatever it was quickly."

"I think it was just one of those twenty-four hour flus, New Year's Day I spent mostly in bed." Andromeda replied, leaving out that she had stayed in bed due to a hangover.

"It's too bad you had to miss the festivities." Persimmon said. "Trevor and I had a great time."

"Certainly a better time than I did." Andromeda agreed with a laugh. "There's always next year."

"That's a whole year away though!" Persimmon cried. "Next year I'll be married. We'll be in different social circles. Weird to think about, innit?"

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that." Andromeda realized reflecting on how much her life was going to change over the next year.

It was odd how one could never quite be aware of what the future would hold. Certainly this time last year Andromeda had not expected her life to have been where it was now. How could she have? This time last year Andromeda had been expecting what exactly? Another year with her sisters, certainly. Another year of limited freedom before she got married off to Walden, she hadn't really been expecting much if she looked back. This year, however, held so much in store for her, things she could not even begin to fathom. She'd be learning to apparate, she had a whole new set of friends of which she couldn't even talk to openly, she was leading a double life, as it were, and she had no idea where her life would go over the next few months.

Andromeda, for possibly the first time, was afraid. Her whole life had been planned out for her, this time last year she had known exactly what was going to happen, but now, she had no idea. In a way she knew she would still end up where she was meant to be, she would still end up married to Walden, unhappy but getting by, but there was a whole two years of her life left that was being left unaccounted for. While pureblood occasions were marked on her calendar, specific events that would rule and govern her life, they were far and few. For nine months out of a year she was at school, a place ungoverned by her parents and expectations. Given, she still was limited by her sisters' monitoring, but there was a certain freedom she lacked at home. She could do anything, be anything for this last stretch of adolescence.

No longer tied down by Bellatrix or worries of what Bellatrix would think, no longer going back to a sister who seemed only more and more to tolerate her, Andromeda would be able to be herself in a way she had never had before. It was odd, that upon meeting Ted Tonks and Hestia Jones and Xenophilius she had met a group of people that could accept her as she was, perhaps always slightly racist, perhaps a bit uptight, but they did not judge her on expectations that had been put forth for her. It was odd but Andromeda had somehow managed to find herself a proper group of friends, something, she realized now, she had never actually had before. Bellatrix and her had been friends, yes, reliant on the other, but even then she had had to conform to Bellatrix's ideals, mind what Bellatrix wanted.

She was free, free for once in her life, and she realised with a sense of foreboding that this freedom that seemed to give her hope and an odd sense of belonging would be taken away from her in two years' time. Less than that even. She would have to go back to being miserable, barely contented of what life would give her. Would she be able to? Would she be able to go back and be at all happy after experiencing what it was like to be a normal person, someone who didn't have a set of rules and decorum to follow? Before she had thought that she could at least get by, but now, now she hadn't the slightest idea.

Why did it seem, that every time Andromeda found herself happy in life, finally felt like she was doing something right, finally getting the experience that teenagers seemed to brag of in their later years, she had to bring herself back down by reflecting on the inevitable and miserable end? It seemed most people could go on and ignore the future, enjoy life as it was, but Andromeda always had one foot in the future, minding herself. She always had that strange pessimistic ideal that she would eventually be doomed, and how could one truly enjoy themselves in the present if they were always aware of the fact that they were doomed in the future?

She couldn't commit to going further and further down the rabbit hole if she knew that it would be harder to climb back and accept her life on the surface. She couldn't experience the wonders of life, a life of freedom and friendship, knowing that she would have to give it all up once again. If she were to experience this life she would never be able to go back to the humdrum of pureblood society, could she?

It would be best then, wouldn't it, to stop now, before she got in too deep, to pretend it had never happened, to ignore her blooming friendships and try and fit back into a world that she had momentarily vacated. She couldn't help but feel, however, that she had changed too much since then. It would be like finding a puzzle piece that fit well enough into the puzzle, that if enough effort was put on it would fit between the pieces and give a false sense of accomplishment, but eventually the puzzle would be well enough formed that it was evident the piece didn't quite fit, it had been masquerading well enough, blending in with the other lavenders or clouds, but it had never quite seemed right. It had been a bit off, it was easy to ignore, when the focus was just on finishing the puzzle, trying to find the most pieces, but impossible to ignore once it was obvious that hit had never really fit in the first place.

Andromeda had become that puzzle piece, it would be impossible to go back now, she couldn't truly. She could try, but she would always be changed. Her Uncle Alphard was that puzzle piece, and it was only a matter of time before he too showed his true colors, when it was realized he hadn't belonged in the puzzle at all. This was why people were burned off the family tree, they simply no longer belonged, possibly had never been wrong, there had been something defective about them from the start, easily missed in their youth, but made increasingly obvious over time. Andromeda was beginning to feel with a sense of horror that she fit into that group, that she had never really truly belonged, if she thought about it she hadn't, that perhaps her life was always going to end this way.

Wouldn't that just make her mother deliriously happy? To get rid of the off little weed that had grown into her picture perfect family? There would be the shame, of course, of raising such an outcast, but it seemed her mother had always hoped that she could be easily forgotten, ceased to exist. In a weird way however, Andromeda would miss her mother, she would miss her whole family, as screwed up as they were, she loved them, and she felt, even if they could never really show it, that they loved her too.

Ted Tonks words rang with Andromeda, from all those months back. They seemed to have been ages ago. He had said, in an almost all knowing tone, to her confusion, that she had been different. She had been confused ,then, mystified by the idea, but now it just seemed to fit so perfectly. Perhaps she had been right when she had mused there had been something genetically wrong with her during one of her solitary patrols, maybe there had been. Maybe after years and years of inbreeding the Blacks had managed to not get something right. Maybe, perhaps, instead of insanity or deformity, inbreeding within magical families lead to odd defections. An inability to accept life as it was. This would explain, in an odd way, why so many people had been struck off her family tree. Andromeda had just been unfortunate enough to be the one born with the disability.

It had been inevitable, therefore, from birth that this would happen to her, destined even. It had been almost impossible for her to have strayed any other way, hadn't there? Certainly she had made enough ruckus as a child for this theory to be believable. Her life was always going to end in one of two ways, disgrace and banishment from her family, an overpowering obviousness of her difference, of her inability to keep on the family path, or a life of sorrow and discontentedness, where she would look back on these few months with a sort of longing and nostalgia, the happy times of her life.

Andromeda did not want either of those lives to be her reality, why could one not just be happy with the people they cared for? It seemed so simple for everyone else. Molly had easily gotten out of her arranged marriage, Charity and Hestia seemed to be overcoming all odds and were happy, Xenophilius was, well Xenophilius, and evidently enjoying all the wonders that that seemed to possess. So why, then, could Andromeda's life not be so simple? Why could she not just wake up one morning and have all of her problems easily fixed? Why was everyone thing that happened in her life a crisis?

Her life might end in one of those two paths, leaving her ultimately miserable even in her slight happiness, the misery outweighing any good that could come of either scenario, but damned if Andromeda wasn't going to try her hardest to find some middle ground between the two. If she tried hard enough, then she could have everything she wanted, couldn't she? She was a Black, after all, and a Black always got what they wanted. Even if what they wanted was as unorthodox as Andromeda's wants.

Andromeda, lost in her own thoughts had missed nearly the entire Prefect's Meeting, and had therefore missed Molly's final address. Molly was therefore, looking at Andromeda expectantly, as if she had just asked her something, or perhaps made a point involving Andromeda and expected Andromeda's confirmation. Andromeda, too overwhelmed with her seemingly miserable future and barely withstanding resolve, one that she did not put much faith in, did not care in the slightest about any withstanding humiliation that may come to her via this awkward moment. She was well past caring what one measly debacle would have on her, when the rest of her life seemed so complex. She therefore, blinked at Molly, coming back to the world, before standing up and clearing her throat.

"Pardon me," She declared straightening out her dress, "but I am in the middle of an existential crisis."

With nothing left to say, and no idea what else to do, she made her way to the exit of the compartment and walked out of the door. She felt bad for perhaps putting Molly and Arthur in a difficult situation at her sudden departure, but she had too much to sort and revise, to plan and try, to be too bothered at the moment. She therefore continued on her way to the compartment that she had previously been inhabiting with her sister, where she knew it would be quiet and would offer no distractions or interruptions.

Upon arrival, however, Andromeda found that the compartment was filled with Bellatrix's new friends, those she had briefly glimpsed at the Knights of Walpurgis meeting, who Andromeda had no wish to consort with in the least. It seemed, in an odd way, the final drawing of a line between Bellatrix and Andromeda. Bellatrix had replaced her, quite easily, and seemed to be engaged in an excited dialogue with one of the wizards that filled the compartment. Andromeda felt a pang of loss, one she was sure would never really go away, it was the definitive end, one that she had not been expecting. Even if she had been irate at what Bellatrix had done, she had always assumed that the bridge could be rebuilt slowly over time, she would forgive her eventually, but that did not seem so.

It was possible that such a simple thing as offering their compartment to fellow Knights members had not seemed a definitive end to their relationship to Bellatrix, the proverbial nail in the coffin, but in some odd way it was. Bellatrix had always waited in quiet impatience for Andromeda to return from her Prefect's meeting, often griping about how Andromeda was really the only one she could stand upon her returning, but it seemed Andromeda had been entirely replaced.

It was the first real knock of reality that she could not tread in this middle ground, find a place between these two paths. Andromeda and Bellatrix were done, they would never be again, they couldn't be. In some odd and unforeseeable way the two had grown apart, become too different to be recognizable to the other, and Andromeda would have to accept this fact, even if it left a hole in her heart that would possibly never be filled. Andromeda would still love who Bellatrix had been until the day she died, much as Bellatrix would love the sister she had lost until her last moments, the one she had spent all those days together with, they had planned a life together, imperfect in reality, but perfect because they would be together. They had changed however, somehow, and it would never be.

It was for all these reasons and more, that Andromeda found herself occupying a compartment with confused first year's, mourning her first real casualty in what would, without a doubt, be a lifetime of loss.

* * *

><p>Life went on, as it is apt to do, and even if it felt to Andromeda that she had lost something more precious than could even begin to be fathomed, she was forced to keep on. It was easier, as each day went, to ignore the gnawing hole in her heart, some days it was entirely ignorable, barely even recognizable, but rather a vague feeling. Other days however, the days she saw Bellatrix laughing or smelt Bellatrix's perfume, that she was reminded of times lost, time that had been, times that could have been, that would never be. She tried, however, to keep on through the pain, and each day it was eased more and more.<p>

She figured it would be easier when she was not faced with the visual reminder of what had been taken from her, if she did not have to look upon this person who had taken over her sister's shape. This cruel being that was barely recognizable as the girl she had once loved. As it was, Andromeda had spent progressively more time with Persimmon Nott, an odd ally and friend where she had not expected it, and, to her slight horror, Zelda Greengrass, a girl until recently she had not been able to stand.

It was beneficial, however, in that Zelda Greengrass was a sixth year where Persimmon was not, and therefore had most classes with Andromeda, or at least the standard ones. Zelda was not necessarily academic, and had perhaps five NEWT classes, but in the classes where Andromeda lacked Zelda she could spend time with her proper friends, or if that failed her, as it at times did, pay attention.

Class was, after all, not a social occasion but one where the student was to pay attention and learn, particularly if they wanted to pass their NEWTs at the end of their career.

It was in this state of half-living, trying to move on and being unable to, still worried about her future and feeling as though her life was spiraling out of control that Ted decided to address the issue at hand.

Ted Tonks, never one for being afraid to discuss topics that no one else wanted to mention, lacking the tact or at least politeness to respect when someone wanted to be left alone, had no quarrels with prodding Andromeda when she was visibly upset. Where everyone else had been treading with a certain respectful distance from whatever it was that seemed to be bothering Andromeda, Ted was of the sort that believed it was better to air one's issue than to mull over it endlessly, how else could one move on?

It was for this reason, that upon their second patrol of the new year, Ted had promised to be respectful and let Andromeda be for the first patrol after the continuing badgering of his friends that he brought up the issue at hand. As best he could without actually knowing what the issue at hand comprised of.

"You all right Dromeda?" He asked, breaking the silence that had weighed between them.

"Peachy." Andromeda replied at once. "Yourself?"

"Oh, I'm doing all right. I don't think I did too well on that Defense Against the Dark Arts exam we had, but in fairness I don't think Bones really expected any of us to study over holiday." Ted answered. "Bit worried about you though."

"About me, whatever for?" Andromeda asked looking up slightly startled.

"I don't know if you've noticed, Dromeda, but you've been positively catatonic since we got back from holiday." Ted answered worry evident on his face. "You didn't get caught sneaking back in did you?"

"Oh, no, that went off without a hitch." Andromeda assured. "Mostly, at least."

"Mostly?" Ted inquired eyebrow raised.

"Well I got stuck on the gate and then I almost got caught by Persimmon and that lot, but I made it back undetected." Andromeda said. "They do think some odd hell spawn exists on my property now though.

Ted laughed despite himself, before noting the complete lack of humor in Andromeda's voice.

"What's wrong, then?" He asked smile dropping from his face.

"Nothing is wrong." Andromeda replied waving him off. "I don't know why you think something is wrong, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." Ted pointed out.

"Well thanks for that, mate." Andromeda retorted.

"First time I even began to believe you there." Ted remarked. "That was the first time since we got back you've even begun to act like yourself."

Andromeda, instead of responding, fixed her eyes forward and went back to pretending Ted did not exist, as she had been doing with most people since she had gone into her reflective mourning. Ted let her be for a few seconds, deciding that perhaps she was just thinking up a good explanation, before becoming impatient and trying again.

"What is going on?" He demanded, stopping abruptly and grabbing Andromeda's arm.

"Why are you so pushy? I told you nothing is wrong." Andromeda exclaimed, annoyance edging into her voice.

"It's called being a good friend, there's clearly something going on in there." Ted replied, gesturing to Andromeda's head.

"I told you nothing is wrong! Just leave it." Andromeda ordered, wrenching her arm free from where Ted still held it lightly. "I'm done patrolling for the day, you can finish up by yourself if you want."

"We aren't supposed to patrol alone." Ted called as Andromeda began to stalk off.

"Then go get Molly or Arthur, I really don't care, Ted." Andromeda spat over her shoulder. "I don't think you could even begin to fathom how much I don't give a damn about some patrolling rules right now."

Andromeda turned around the corner before Ted could reply, and he considered for a few fleeting moments to go after her, but he was thrown by her reaction. In most of his instances in life, if he pushed then the person would give, it would often just take a bit of time before the person let go what was bothering them. Andromeda, however did not seem to be of that sort of person.

He considered for a moment, the responsibilities of the patrol, of abandoning it, but he had never much cared about being a prefect, it had been accidental at best, mostly at Ted's being well-liked by everyone, and he had never taken the job quite as seriously as other prefects. It was thus, taking a deep breath of preparation of the onslaught that was sure to befall him that he took off after the irate Andromeda.

He came upon her rather quickly, she had seemed to be expecting him and had not made off as quickly as she could have under the circumstances, almost perhaps if she had hoped to be stopped. This was a good enough sign for Ted.

"Andromeda." He began, hesitantly, not sure what would meet him.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" Andromeda responded at once, whirling around. "I'm fine, for Merlin's sake I've never been better!"

"That is entirely believable. My apologies." Ted remarked at once, unable to stop himself. "It's clear you are not at all upset, so I'll just be going now."

He made a move to head off, something that had often enticed a reaction when his sister's had been unwilling to share their own distress, and to his relief, Andromeda seemed to be hesitant on whether or not she actually wanted him to leave.

"Wait-I-I don't know." Andromeda faltered, biting her lip. "Why do you have to be so pushy?"

"I can't help it." Ted said with a shrug. "Everyone else has been leaving you alone though and that obviously isn't working, so I figure it's about time we tried my approach."

"That sounds ominous." Andromeda pointed out.

"Less ominous than you'd think, my approach has always been talking stuff out. It's worked out pretty well in the past, I can give you references." Ted explained, smiling slightly.

Andromeda looked at him horrified.

"Purebloods don't talk about your problems do you?" He asked knowingly.

Andromeda shook her head curtly.

"I am not surprised at all." He declared. "The pureblood method obviously isn't working though, it might just be time for a change."

"No." Andromeda disagreed at once. "I'm not going to change _again _because that's the problem. That is the whole bloody problem in this whole bloody tragedy that is my life. It never will end well, I don't _fit _anymore. I don't fit anymore and I'm slowly losing everything. I've already lost Bellatrix, who knows what's next."

"Haven't you gained some things too, though? Ted offered, taking a tentative step forward.

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't make up for the losses. This only ends in two ways, I either try and affix myself back into pureblood society like my uncle or I end up burned off the family tree like everyone else that have been different." Andromeda exclaimed.

"That's pretty pessimistic." Ted observed. "I feel like you could very easily exist in both worlds and be happy."

"How many purebloods have you me that pulled that off, hmm?" Andromeda retorted, crossing her arms. "I haven't met a single one, so if you could think of anyone that would be brilliant."

"You're not like the average pureblood though-." Ted began; aware this was probably the most complicated problem he'd had to help deal with.

"I'm aware of that! It's kind of the root of the problem here." Andromeda bit, rolling her eyes.

"Let me finish." Ted ordered catching Andromeda off guard. "You're not like other purebloods in a good way, if anyone could pull off this sort of coexisting it's you. You've been doing pretty well so far haven't you? I'm thinking you could manage."

Andromeda snorted.

"I think your lack of faith in yourself is appalling." Ted declared.

"I think your boundless faith for me is misplaced." Andromeda retorted.

"Mine is based on past examples, though. Yours is based on pessimistic expectations." Ted pointed out.

"It's all your fault you know." Andromeda said, seemingly from nowhere, sliding against the wall into a sitting position.

"I do. You love to point it out anytime you have a crisis." Ted replied, smiling, joining her on the floor.

"Why couldn't you just leave me alone?" She groaned, placing her head in her arms. "If you'd just left me alone then my life never would have spiraled out of control.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that bit." Ted apologized. "I hadn't meant for it to get to this."

"What exactly did you _mean _to happen?" Andromeda asked her knees.

Ted reflected on this for a few seconds.

"I haven't the slightest idea." He said finally laughing slightly.

"Then _why _couldn't you just let me alone?" Andromeda demanded again, slamming her head against the wall and letting out a disgruntled sigh.

"I don't know, I just couldn't." Ted answered with a shrug.

"That's not an answer." Andromeda pointed out, turning her head slightly to look at Ted.

"It's the best I've got." Ted replied. "Sorry I can't give a better one, I just couldn't."

"Not satisfactory. Please come up with a better explanation." Andromeda said.

They sat in silence for a bit, Andromeda expectantly and Ted without the slightest idea what to say.

"Well?" Andromeda prompted, eyebrow raised.

Ted remained stoic.

"Answer me Theodore." Andromeda demanded.

"I can't." He replied with a laugh. "I don't have a reason, I really don't. I couldn't leave you alone though, I tried, I really did, but then you started talking to me and then I just couldn't help it."

"Are you blaming me?" Andromeda asked baffled.

"Actually, yes I am. You're the one who started talking to me during rounds, I had all but given up by then." Ted mused, thinking back on it.

"Rubbish." Andromeda replied. "You just said you had 'given up' which clearly you had some sort of intent. Which means you still have to explain why you wouldn't leave me be in the first place."

"Not everyone has such a detailed explanation for every single thing that they do, Dromeda." Ted remarked with a roll of his eyes.

"I disagree." Andromeda said at once.

"Of course you do." Ted proclaimed, rolling his eyes. "I wouldn't have expected anything else."

"Stop trying to distract me. You still owe me an explanation." Andromeda ordered, looking pointedly at him.

Ted looked her in the eye trying to express that he had no proper reason, nothing he could fathom into words, he hadn't thought about it much when he had done it, never evaluated every action he had committed, it had just sort of happened that way. He hadn't woken up one morning and decided to change Andromeda Black's mind about life itself, it had just happened, and he certainly couldn't explain any underlying motives he might have had to explain his ongoing resilience to achieve this outcome.

Andromeda did not seem to understand this though, the girl who carefully plotted everything she did, evaluated every move she made, she was certain there was a reason, there was always reason, and so she looked at him with questioning eyes expecting a well thought out explanation. Ted was not the sort to think things out, and he couldn't provide one, no matter how much he wished that he could.

It was for this purpose, this desire to answer Andromeda's question in a way she could understand, that he did something he had never planned on doing. Something he had certainly repressed on many occasions. He knew it was horrible timing, a bad idea even as he was enacting it, but it was the only proper answer that he would ever be able to supply, and it was only an adequate answer at best.

Andromeda made a noise, as if attempt to prompt him on as her impatience grew. Ted shook his head slightly, as if trying to express that there was no answer one last time, but Andromeda, predictably, did not accept this idea, and he was left with no choice.

Ted Tonks leaned forward the few inches between them and pressed his lips against Andromeda Black's. It was unreal, possibly a dream, impossible even, for muggleborn Ted Tonks to be kissing pureblood Andromeda Black sitting on the floor of the fourth floor corridor on January seventh, but the year was 1969 and it was the first of several impossible things that would happen that year. The kiss lasted only a second at best, two if one was generous, but it was one of those kisses that one could ever forget.

Andromeda pulled back, startled, and Ted, now separated from Andromeda's lips, felt an overwhelming feeling of remorse and pride. Andromeda stood up abruptly, partly confused and extremely flustered.

"I can't handle this right now." She declared, to her or Ted it was impossible to tell, before turning around and running off.

This time, at least, Ted did not follow Andromeda, unsure of what to say if he did and caught up with her, unsure if he even wanted to catch up with him. Instead, he groaned, slamming his head against the wall and wishing he could undo the last ten seconds, aware it might have been the biggest mistake of his life.

Andromeda, back in her dorm, collapsed onto her bed, fingers lightly touching her lips, a range of emotions flashing through her mind, predominately confusion. She had no idea of what to make of her life and the turn it had taken. She had no idea if she even wanted to begin to decipher the mixture of emotions that had sprung up, to wade through the confusion. She was right in her original assessment, she simply could not handle it right now.

* * *

><p><strong>I've gone back to the original title because I've decided I like it better. Sorry for any resulting confusion.<strong>


	12. Chapter Twelve

To say that Andromeda was avoiding Ted was not necessarily fair, although technically true. She would profess, if questioned, that she was by no means avoiding her friend Edward, but was rather too busy to spend any time with him or have a conversation, but to anyone else who knew the nature of their relationship, sans the kissing, it seemed quite clear that she was indeed avoiding him.

She had skipped the past two patrols that she shared with him, instead forcing Travers to fill in for her, and had made sure to get in and out of class as fast as possible so she wouldn't have to face him in between classes. It had therefore been over a week since the kiss, and Andromeda still had no idea what to make of it. How her life had gotten so off track and just plain weird she would never understand, but despite how hard she tried she couldn't deny she had enjoyed kidding Ted.

Which was wrong, so incredibly wrong. Why was life so complicated?

All of this, and more, was why Andromeda was subconsciously avoiding Ted as though her life depended on it. It was much easier avoiding someone than she had originally thought, and she was beginning to feel as though perhaps she would be able to avoid him until the end of the year if she had to. She had more than enough patrol passes from Travers to get to the end of her patrolling time with Ted and after that she would be free from having to deal with any sort of brewing conflict.

Nothing ever worked out quite as easy as all that though. At least, not for Andromeda Black.

It was for this reason that Andromeda found herself creeping along the hallway towards the kitchens early Wednesday morning. It was much easier to go to the kitchens for her meal times than it was to risk running into Ted or any of her other various friends in the Great Hall. She peered around the corner checking both ways. She knew the Hufflepuff Common Room was in this section of the castle but was unsure if it was on this floor or the one above, she couldn't take the risk however.

Just as she was about to decide the coast was clear and begin her trek down the long hallway that led to the kitchens she heard voices exiting a hallway. She ducked back behind the corner, having had stepped out into the hallway, and peered her head as far forward into the open air as she dared.

"Are you sure she comes down here?" A voice Andromeda recognized as Ted asked.

Andromeda cursed her bad luck.

"Well she's obviously not eating in the Great Hall." The other person replied.

"Does she know about the kitchens though?" Ted inquired.

"That's where she met Hestia, remember." The other person pointed out as Andromeda tried to figure out who it was. "What's going on anyways? She's been weirdly absent all week. She was upset before, but this is a whole new level."

Andromeda assumed Ted shrugged as no reply came, but it was incredibly hard to see so she couldn't be positive.

"Something happened." The voice reasoned.

"I…don't want to talk about it." Ted said awkwardly.

"So you drag me away from breakfast and you won't even tell me why. Classy, Ted."

"I didn't drag you away from breakfast, we were in the Common Room and you speculated she might be going to the kitchens." Ted argued. "I was perfectly fine going alone but you insisted."

"You can't blame a girl for being curious."

Andromeda was almost certain it was Charity then, if they had been in the Common Room since she was the only other Hufflepuff, the voice fit well enough. She was rather impressed with Charity's reasoning, she'd had no idea the girl was so clever, but she also was silently cursing her, because Andromeda was getting quite hungry and it seemed she'd have to go the day with no breakfast. She still couldn't risk the Great Hall after all.

With her kitchen access definitely blocked off Andromeda was left with no choice but to walk back through the door at the end of the hallway and scavenge her things for some food. She gave one last longing look towards the kitchens, before turning around and escaping through the door hoping they wouldn't be there at lunch.

* * *

><p>She was not as lucky as all that. It had seemed that whatever small luck that had been sticking with Andromeda during the past few days had finally run out. She was creeping down the hallway once more, trying to make as little noise as possible, when she heard familiar voices down the hallway once again. It seemed this time Ted had swapped Charity for Xenophilius.<p>

"Are you just going to stake out here for every meal?" Xenophilius inquired.

"It's siege tactics, innit? Cut off the enemies food supply and eventually they'll surrender." Ted replied.

"I hadn't realized you were so fond of military tactics Ted." Xenophilius said conversationally.

"Well, when all else fails." Ted reasoned.

"What happened anyways that we're engaging siege tactics?" Xenophilius asked curiously.

"Nothing." Ted answered at once.

"Well it had to have been something. You don't starve someone unless something important happened." Xenophilius pointed out.

"You don't suppose there's a passage that connects to the dungeons, do you?" Ted wondered aloud, ignoring Xenophilius.

"What do you mean?" Xenophilius replied.

Andromeda stopped breathing for a moment, aware she had just been found out. She began to back away from the corner slowly, just in case.

"It's only, the stairs down here are right there, we'd be able to see if someone was coming down let alone hear them. She hasn't come around though, so she must be finding another way down here." Ted reasoned. "This place has castles and doors everywhere, maybe there's one between the dungeons and here."

"That makes sense." Xenophilius agreed.

"I'm going to go check, be right back." Ted said.

Andromeda heard footsteps and her eyes widened. She retreated instantly, turning around and almost bolting to the door that sat at the end of the hallway. She made it through, perhaps just in time, but she aware that she was completely ruined. There was no way she was going to be able to get to the kitchens anymore and she was absolutely starving, having found no food in her dorm room. She only had one option left, the Great Hall. Beaten and cursing her bad luck Andromeda made her way towards the stairs that would lead out of the Great Hall. It was time to face her problems, she supposed.

When she arrived at the Great Hall it was certainly not what Andromeda had suspected. Almost as soon as she had entered Narcissa came almost running up to her, ladies do not run but it was quite close to one, and engulfed her in a hug, catching Andromeda off guard as they usually did not hug.

"Happy birthday!" She exclaimed happily.

"What?" Andromeda asked confused.

"Happy birthday!" Narcissa said again, letting Andromeda go.

"Is it?" Andromeda asked.

"Yes." Narcissa answered. "It's your birthday."

"I had no idea." Andromeda told her processing this new information.

"How did you not know it was your birthday?" Narcissa asked with a laugh.

"It must have slipped my mind." Andromeda said with a shrug.

"It slipped your mind!" Narcissa replied incredulous. "You're seventeen now. You can take you apparition exam and drink legally and do all sorts of seventeen year old things. How does that slip your mind?"

"A lot has been going on." Andromeda answered. "Can we go sit down? I'm starving."

"Of course." Narcissa said moving to head back to the table. "Where were you this morning? I waited around because I wanted to wish you happy birthday but you never showed up. I wanted to be first. Was I?"

Andromeda blinked. Had Narcissa failed to notice that she had been absent from every meal since last Tuesday? Perhaps she had assumed Andromeda had gotten there earlier than her, or later, until she had had a reason to talk to her today. It was still a bit odd though, and inattentive.

"I wasn't very hungry this morning." Andromeda replied. "You were first. I don't think many people know it's my birthday. Myself included, apparently."

"Well, all of Slytherin knows. There's going to be a party in the Common Room tonight so make sure you show up." Narcissa ordered.

"You didn't have to throw a party." Andromeda said awkwardly, not feeling up to any sort of party.

"I didn't." Narcissa said. "I don't know who did; I just know there is one."

"That's unnerving." Andromeda remarked. "Though not surprising."

Slytherins in general would often look for any sort of excuse to throw a party, and their birthday parties were notorious, at least in Slytherin house. The past few 'birthday parties' Andromeda had been to had gotten sort of wild. It was due to a good portion of the Slytherins being rich, influential, and therefore able to get their hands on all sorts of party standards. It was also well noted that most Slytherins who partake in these parts were the same ones who were apart of pureblood society and therefore threw this parties as a way to ignore the expectations and careful society rules that they minded in their everyday lives. In short, it was their way to blow off steam, and the various other house members did not mind in the least.

"Happy birthday!" Persimmon exclaimed as Andromeda sat down for lunch. "You are officially old, congratulations."

"I'm officially an adult." Andromeda said wrinkling her nose. "That is an incredibly unnerving thought."

If she could not even manage to get her life together then how would she be able to survive as an adult? Andromeda was beginning to feel horrified at the thought of being seventeen and in charge of herself.

"Where have you been anyways?" Persimmon asked seemingly out of nowhere.

"Non sequitur." Andromeda remarked piling some food onto her plate.

"Pardon?" Persimmon asked confused.

"Don't worry about it." Andromeda said waving her off. "I don't really know. I've been around."

"That isn't really an answer." Persimmon pointed out.

"It's the best I have." Andromeda replied wondering vaguely if Persimmon continued to push her she would kiss her as Ted had done.

It seemed to be the appropriate response when someone pushed you for an answer when you couldn't provide one, after all. She laughed suddenly at the thought garnering a weird look from Persimmon.

"What?" Persimmon asked.

"It was nothing." Andromeda answered unsure how she could even have begun to explain.

"You're being weird." Persimmon observed.

"Am I?" Andromeda replied.

"Definitely." Persimmon decided looking at her strangely. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Maybe I am getting odd in my old age." Andromeda remarked.

"It's possible." Persimmon agreed unsurely.

Andromeda and Persimmon ate in silence, Persimmon shooting Andromeda concerned glances every once in a while and Andromeda glancing from the door to the other three tables in the Great Hall nervously, expecting someone to come up and talk to her. Every time someone would make an appearance to wish her a 'Happy birthday' she would jump slightly, before thanking them. It was going to be a long day certainly, and most likely not a very happy birthday despite the frequent well wishes.

* * *

><p>The Slytherin Common Room was crowded, much more so than usual. It seemed hard to believe there were only Slytherins in attendance to the 'birthday party' but when Andromeda glanced around she couldn't tell if anyone actually stood out. She didn't care much anyways, it was the most un-birthday birthday party she had ever been thrown. There weren't even any presents for her, at all, and she was certainly not in the party mood.<p>

Andromeda tried to enjoy herself, she truly did, but it just wasn't working. She had attempted to dance a bit but she hated the music they were playing, and she had never really been much for dancing. At past parties she and Bellatrix had sat in the corner and joked to each other, but Bellatrix was nowhere to be seen and Andromeda wasn't up for trying to make new friends so late in life.

It was thus that she found herself sitting in the corner with wine, white, and thinking to herself. No one had approached her, perhaps she gave off the appearance that she wished to be alone, and while she was slightly miffed by this fact since it was supposed to be _her_ party she didn't much mind. Narcissa had come over for a bit, dutiful sister that she was, and wished her happy birthday once more and told her she had put the presents she had received in the mail this morning, Andromeda hadn't been there to get them herself, on her bed.

She had left quickly though when her friends had waved her over to them and Andromeda could spot her light blonde head every now and again. She thought she saw her with Lucius Malfoy every now and again and she would smile slightly to herself, glad her sister was working on prospects that were at least favorable to her so she wouldn't be stuck like Andromeda was.

That was what she was after all, stuck. She was stuck in a predefined future that was less than favorable to what she actually wanted. She didn't like Walden, she didn't even like her family that much, loved them certainly, but she did not like them in the least bit. She was fond of Narcissa and her father, but the rest of them, sans perhaps her younger cousins and Uncle Alphard, she did not much care for. So why was she putting herself through all this pain and torment, forcing herself into a box that she no longer fit into? Who was it for?

She took another swig from the bottle.

There was so much to sort out in her life. Could she force herself back into society? Could she leave society? Would she ever be able to reconcile with Bellatrix? Could she live in a world where viewpoints so contradictory to her own reigned? Would she be able to make it through another holiday at home with her mother? Did she want to? Was this really all her life would be? Did she fancy Ted?

_Did she fancy Ted?_

Andromeda paused, blinked, reevaluated. How had that slipped itself in there? How did something as silly as fancying a boy weigh up to all the important decisions that she knew she would have to face? It did though, didn't it? It felt like the most important question in the world at that moment. How had that come to be?

It had been so long since Andromeda had even considered fancying anyone that she had almost completely forgotten what it was like. She had thought she'd fancied Charles Parkinson once, but she hadn't, not really; at least it hadn't lasted very well. She had been fond of Theodore Nott, certainly, she couldn't deny she had rather he had gotten to her father before Walden MacNair, but she had only liked him marginally more. He had just seemed more of a gentleman than Walden had been, but she had never fancied either of them.

She supposed she fancied Kevin Broadmoor, but not in any realistic sense. Did Quidditch crushes really count? It wasn't as though there was any sort of possibility such a thing would happen she'd never considered it seriously in any case. She had thought him attractive, yes, but she didn't really fancy him like one could fancy a normal sort of boy, it had that element of hero worship in it.

Ted played Quidditch.

This seemed like a driving factor. That was really what had started it all, if she attempted to pinpoint it, which she often did. Ted played Quidditch and that had really been all that had mattered, hadn't it? She wondered how different her life would have been had Ted been horrible at Quidditch. What if he was as clumsy on a broom as he was in everyday life? How different her life could have been.

There was no point dwelling on 'what ifs' however, Ted played Quidditch and that had been it. The nail in her coffin. She had been sold since she had seen him in his Quidditch uniform and she knew it.

Bollocks.

Andromeda groaned to herself cursing her luck. She tried to remember when her life had been less complicated. She could vaguely recall possessing a simplistic fifth year where barely anything of remote interest had happened. The most interesting thing that year had been her debut, and that hadn't exactly been thrilling itself.

Andromeda was distracted from her thoughts by a sudden shift in the party's guests. It seemed they had shrunken significantly since the last time she had looked up, and she realized that most of the people who seemed to be missing were the older purebloods. It was Wednesday, she recalled, which meant a Knights meeting. Had they used her birthday party as a pre-party of sorts? How rude. Andromeda would have been offended if she had not wished to be anywhere but there herself.

Why didn't she have to stick around anyways? There would be no cake, no presents, the only thing that even signified this was a birthday party was the fact that someone had stuck a party hat that said 'Birthday Girl' on her head, and no one seemed to be paying it any mind. She could leave if she wanted to and no one would notice.

So she did.

She had no idea where she would go really, perhaps to the kitchens she supposed, and she didn't really have anywhere to go. The library would be closed, her dorm would be full of passed out house members, she couldn't risk walking about the castle because she was quite sure she was inebriated and it was after curfew. She wondered who was patrolling. Where then, could she go? The Slytherin Common Room was certainly out of the question.

She wandered through the halls aimlessly, party hat lopsided on her head and wine bottle still in her hand, before she was overcome with the sudden need to go to the Hufflepuff Common Room. She needed to talk to Ted. This was impractical, a part of her knew, she had been avoiding Ted for the past week and she honestly had no idea where the Hufflepuff Common Room was, no idea what floor it was on even, but she had to go there.

It was if she had taken Felix Felicis, her gut knew this was where she had to go and she would get there if she had to bang on every door and wall on that side of the castle. She knew it was connected to the kitchens somehow, so that was enough to go off of for her. She stumbled throw the door that had been her lifeline to food for the past few weeks, it was easily her favorite passageway in the whole castle and she spent a few minutes patting the door affectionately before remembering her mission.

She began to walk through the hallway with none of the care she had possessed in the past week when she had been creeping about when she remembered suddenly that some of the professor's rooms were somewhere down in this part of the castle. If a teacher caught her she wondered how much trouble she would be in.

She walked quieter until she reached the staircase that led to the floor above. She reckoned the Hufflepuff Common Room ought to be on the floor above since this floor mostly housed the professors; the question was where in the maze of hallways and rooms would the common room be. How could she ever hope to find it?

Throwing all worries out of her mind Andromeda climbed the stairs. If she was lucky perhaps she would run into a Hufflepuff and follow them to the common room. Did Hufflepuffs have a password like the Slytherins did? What if their entrance was hidden in a wall as well? Or behind a portrait as the kitchens was? Andromeda was beginning to wonder how she had gone almost her entire Hogwarts career with no idea of how the other houses' common rooms functioned or where they even were.

With no other lead Andromeda exited the staircase and made her way to the wall, resolving to bang on every inch of wall until she found one that sounded hollow, even if it took her all night. She was thrown off for a bit because she was knocking against the wall that was adjacent to the kitchens, which had a high ceiling and therefore encompassed two floors rather than one.

Once she had deciphered the dimensions of the kitchen she went to the other wall and began peering in rooms, none of them were what she was looking for. Exasperated and beginning to think this was a useless endeavor Andromeda took another swig from her bottle and tried to think of a better way to go about finding the Hufflepuff Common Room.

Andromeda sunk against the wall at a loss for ideas and was about ready to curl up in the broom closet she had stumbled upon in her search, thankfully empty, when she heard the sound of feet coming down the stairs. She perked up and tried to make out who it might be, lost as to who would still be walking about at this time of night.

By some prefect reflex, or perhaps drunken whim, Andromeda got up having momentarily forgotten that she was going to attempt to trail this person to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

"Oi! It's past curfew, mate. What are you doing out of bed?" Andromeda called as authoritatively as she could manage.

"I could ask you the same thing." The person replied bemused.

"I'm a prefect." Andromeda retorted before taking a swig from her bottle.

"So am I." The person remarked.

"Well, shit." Andromeda declared.

"Furthermore _I_ was just patrolling the halls because Penelope Penrose wasn't feeling well so I am supposed to be here. You, on the other hand, are on the complete wrong side of the castle." The person pointed out.

"I was looking for the Hufflepuff Common Room." Andromeda explained.

"That makes complete sense, since you're a Slytherin."

"I could be a Hufflepuff." Andromeda argued. "Which prefect are you anyways?"

"I'm a tad offended you don't recognize my voice." Ted remarked stepping into the dim light of the hallway.

"I usually can." Andromeda said. "It's much harder to process when I'm-."

"Drunk?" Ted interrupted amused.

"No." Andromeda argued.

"I should really take points from Slytherin, you know." Ted informed her. "For being out past curfew and being under the influence. You should be receiving a detention."

"I'm only out after curfew because I was looking for _you _which is an incredible feat because I have no bloody idea where the Hufflepuff Common Room is." Andromeda explained slightly annoyed. "And I'm only drunk because my birthday party was complete shit and I didn't even want one. I'm not drunk though, tipsy maybe, not drunk."

"You were looking for me?" Ted asked surprised.

"No, I was just at my incredible birthday party and I decided I was going to perform a solo raid on the Hufflepuff dorms." Andromeda retorted.

"Only you could be sarcastic while drunk." Ted observed.

"I'm not though." Andromeda argued.

"You are. It's pretty evident." Ted said. "Walk in a straight line and prove me wrong."

"Easy." Andromeda declared focusing on her feet and walking forward. "I'm not you; I could walk in straight lines in my sleep."

Focused and positive she was walking in a perfectly straight line that even her mother would approve of, Andromeda crashed into Ted.

"Why did you move?" She demanded, losing her balance slightly.

"I didn't. Your 'straight line' was so horrible that you actually managed to walk all the way over here." Ted replied.

"You moved." Andromeda decided not wanting to be wrong.

Ted raised an eyebrow.

"Or I am drunk."

"It's a possibility." Ted agreed.

"That's not important, though." Andromeda declared. "What's important is I need to talk to you."

"I'm sure that will be entertaining." Ted remarked.

"It will be awe-inspiring." Andromeda told him. "It will be the most eloquent and explanative talk that you will ever witness. You won't be able to have a decent conversation for weeks without remembering the pure insightful words I am going to grace you with tonight. Can we sit down? It's a lot of effort to stand."

"Good start." Ted observed sitting against the wall.

Andromeda joined him shortly, although she much less sat than fell into an awkward sitting position against the wall. They sat in silence for a few seconds, Ted expectantly and Andromeda thinking to herself unaware that she was not actually speaking allowed.

"Well?" Ted asked after a few seconds.

"Don't interrupt me." Andromeda said at once.

"You weren't even talking." Ted told her.

"Oh." Andromeda said. "My apologies, I thought I was."

"It's all right." Ted said with a laugh.

"You know how the Slytherins almost always win the house cup?" Andromeda asked mid-thought catching Ted off guard.

"Yes?" Ted replied confused.

"Have you ever wondered why?" Andromeda inquired.

"I always assumed it was because you earned the points, or at least lost the least amount." Ted answered. "You certainly don't win points from Quidditch.

"I don't want to talk about Quidditch." Andromeda said crossly.

"Sorry?" Ted apologized.

"Anyways, sometimes we actually win it, obviously. Sometimes we cheat though." Andromeda continued forgetting Ted's interruption. "Not a lot, but sometimes we sneak into the Great Hall in the dead of night and alter the points."

"What?' Ted asked flabbergasted. "Are you being serious right now?"

"Why would I make that up?" Andromeda replied. "I went one time with Charles Parkinson and a few others, they made me stand watch. They know some spell or some way to alter the points, I'm not quite sure. It was only because Slytherin was really far behind, that was the year that Walden MacNair and Theodore Nott couldn't go five minutes without getting into an altercation so we were losing points by the bucketful."

"We always said you guys cheated." Ted observed.

"You would." Andromeda said with a laugh. "Hufflepuff almost always comes in dead last."

"We try." Ted defended. "Why are you telling me about Slytherin's cheating habits though?"

"I'm pretty sure Gryffindor cheats too, in our defense." Andromeda remarked. "I have a point though."

"Care to share it with the rest of the class?" Ted asked snarkily.

"Well when I went with Charles Parkinson and the lot of them and I was standing watch I wasn't worrying about the consequences or thinking about every little choice. I just did it, you know? Charles asked if I wanted to come along and I just went with it I didn't spend days worrying about what would happen the next day." Andromeda explained. "So why can't I do that anymore?"

"You've lost me." Ted told her. "You get even wordier and harder to follow when you're drunk, which is a terrifying thought."

"What I'm trying to say is I don't want to focus on the future anymore. I'm always thinking about the past or the future and I never focus on the here and now. What's that really lame phrase everyone is always saying? 'Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That's why it's called the present'." Andromeda elaborated. "It's all about living for the day and not worrying about the future or wishing for the past. I want that."

"Still not entirely sure what I'm meant to be getting from this." Ted informed her.

"You're so thick, Ted." Andromeda remarked rolling her eyes.

"You're so bad at explaining yourself, Dromeda." Ted replied.

"In my defense I'm drunk."

"Oh, so you're drunk when it suits as an excuse."

"Precisely."

Andromeda heaved a sigh, unsure of how to explain what she was trying to express. There was no way to express it properly she felt, she couldn't come out and say it certainly, completely out of the blue.

"I'll try again." She decided aloud.

"Third time's the charm, yeah?" Ted said.

"You kissed me." Andromeda exclaimed.

"I did." Ted agreed.

"Why'd you do that?" Andromeda asked.

"You wanted to know why I wouldn't leave you alone." Ted explained.

"So the logical thing to do is kiss someone?" Andromeda retorted. "Persimmon was pressing me for information I couldn't explain today but I didn't kiss her."

"That would have been odd." Ted agreed. "She doesn't really seem like your type."

"Pardon?"

"It'd be weird if you had kissed her because she doesn't seem like your type." Ted explained.

"She's not my type because I'm not a lesbian." Andromeda pointed out.

"Right, right, I am aware." Ted assured. "If you had been though I couldn't see you going for Persimmon's sort. She's a bit…"

"Slow?" Andromeda suggested.

"Yeah."

"Well, that aside." Andromeda continued. "I didn't kiss Persimmon-."

"Yes, we've been over this." Ted interrupted. "You have no romantic feelings for Persimmon, I understand."

"Let me finish." Andromeda ordered. "I didn't kiss Persimmon but you kissed me."

"Yes." Ted agreed. "Are you hoping if you keep saying it over and over again I will somehow glean what you're trying to say? Because that's not happening."

"Stop being snarky." Andromeda said. "The point of it is why did you kiss me?"

"But I've already answered that." Ted remarked

"No you haven't." Andromeda argued. "Me not kissing Persimmon disproved your cop out answer."

"I thought you not kissing Persimmon proved you weren't a lesbian?" Ted asked confused. "I'm not following."

"You are being slow on purpose." Andromeda exclaimed exasperated. "Why did you kiss me?"

"To answer your question about why I wouldn't leave you alone." Ted repeated. "I told you already."

"How is that an answer?!" Andromeda asked.

Ted looked at her in disbelief.

"What?" Andromeda asked annoyed.

"And you called me thick." Ted said.

"Well if you'd just say it straight out rather than dancing around the point." Andromeda retorted.

"The pot said, calling the kettle black."

"You're infuriating." Andromeda told him.

"Funny, that's exactly what I was going to say about you." Ted bit.

Andromeda glared at him. They had a staring contest for a few moments.

"Just say it plainly." Andromeda ordered.

"Say what plainly?" Ted replied.

"Why you kissed me! How many times do I have to say it, Merlin?"

"The fact that you have to have the motivation behind a kiss explained to you is the most baffling thing I've ever heard." Ted declared.

"I just want to be sure." Andromeda explained.

"Sure of what?" Ted asked.

"You know what!" Andromeda answered.

"If I know what then you must know what." Ted pointed out. "So what exactly is the point of this conversation?"

"You're so bloody annoying." Andromeda declared throwing her arms up in exasperation. "It's not that hard, just say it."

"I kissed you, I feel like that speaks volumes." Ted argued. "I shouldn't have to explain it any further."

"Well, you do." Andromeda replied.

"I don't like repeating myself."

"You didn't say anything in the first place to repeat."

"You don't always have to use words to get things across, Andromeda."

"You're so difficult." Andromeda groaned.

"Ditto." Ted replied.

The sat in silence for a few seconds, Andromeda trying to think of a new tact and Ted hoping she would drop the topic all together.

"Why do you have to play bloody Quidditch?" Andromeda proclaimed at last.

"What?" Ted asked in surprise. "How is me playing Quidditch relevant at all?"

"You playing Quidditch is probably the most relevant thing either of us have talked about this whole night." Andromeda exclaimed.

"I really don't follow." Ted said. "You didn't even want to talk about Quidditch. Why are you so keen on it now?"

"I'm not." Andromeda argued. "I think I'm beginning to bloody hate Quidditch."

"That seems a bit uncalled for." Ted observed.

"It really isn't." Andromeda assured. "It isn't uncalled for at all, trust me."

"You're making no sense." Ted pointed out.

"You're useless." Andromeda huffed.

"I don't think that's a very fair assessment at-." Ted began before being cut off.

Andromeda, exasperated and aware that this was getting them nowhere and not wanting to be stuck on the floor for the rest of the night had finally given up on receiving any sort of clarification, it was becoming quite clear to her she would probably never get any. Instead she had done the only option she felt she had left if she wanted to resolve anything tonight.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips against Ted's own, to his shock. It lasted longer than the first kiss and would probably have lasted even longer had Andromeda's stomach not given a churn and forced her to pull away.

"I think I'm going to puke." She declared, drawing back.

"Always a great thing to hear after you've kissed a girl." Ted remarked.

"Alcohol." Andromeda said by way of explanation before getting up and making her way towards the broom closet she had previously established the location of.

"Do you need help or-?" Ted began to ask, willing to hold Andromeda's hair back if she required it.

"No!" Andromeda yelled, already mostly to the broom closet. "I'd really rather you don't see me puke, thanks."

"Considerate." Ted said to himself as he heard the broom closet door close.

He waited for a few minutes before Andromeda came back looking a little worse for wear.

"There was a mop bucket at least." She remarked as she came back. "I think it's safe to say I feel like shit."

"That's what you get for drinking mass quantities of alcohol." Ted replied.

"I want to go to sleep." Andromeda decided sitting back down against the wall.

"You can't sleep in the middle of the hallway." Ted pointed out with a laugh.

"Well I can't sleep in the broom closet it either." Andromeda remarked. "I don't think I could find the Slytherin Common Room if I tried."

"All right. Ted said decidedly.

"All right?" Andromeda asked confused.

"Well I'm not going to leave you to sleep in the drafty hallway." Ted said.

"Very noble of you, really." Andromeda remarked.

"So come along, you can stay in the Hufflepuff dorms tonight." Ted declared.

"The Hufflepuff dorms?" Andromeda asked. "That will do well for my reputation."

"You just kissed a muggle-born and threw up in a broom closet, can you honestly be that concerned about your reputation right now?" Ted pointed out.

"Can't argue with that logic." Andromeda agreed. "Escort me to this wondrous common room then."

"You're going to have to get up." Ted commented.

"Do I have to though?" Andromeda whined.

"I'm not going to carry you."

"That seems incredibly ungentlemanly of you." Andromeda remarked.

"I never claimed to be gentlemanly." Ted replied.

"It's my birthday though? I shouldn't have to walk on my birthday."

Ted sighed, making a big deal about having to pick Andromeda up.

"Stop making a fuss, it's not even that far." Andromeda ordered.

"How do you know? You don't even know where it is."

"There's only a finite amount of space, it can't be that far." Andromeda reasoned. "Wait! We left my wine behind."

"You don't need any more wine, Dromeda." Ted pointed out.

"I want the wine though." Andromeda argued.

"I'm cutting you off. You don't need to get even drunker." Ted reasoned.

"Bully."

The arrived at the apparent location to the Hufflepuff Common Room, to Andromeda's great confusion, and Ted placed her back on the ground.

"Just wait here, I'll be right back." He said before disappearing.

Andromeda, confused and tired, looked around and tried to figure out where she was and where Ted had gotten off to. There was no wall evident, just a lot of barrels stacked together. There wasn't even a portrait, where was the entrance to the common room?

"What are these barrels for even?" Andromeda asked the air thoroughly confused. "How deep do they go?"

She pulled herself up to a standing position and attempted to pull a barrel from the top, to see if there was another row behind, but it was too heavy and she was currently too uncoordinated. She looked at the barrels confused. They were easily the oddest thing she had ever seen in the whole castle, and she had seen some pretty odd things. How had she never noticed them before? She was certain she would have noticed a pile of barrels in the corner before.

"Is the Hufflepuff Common Room behind the barrels?" She asked. "How does that work?"

She tapped a barrel experimentally, wondering if one perhaps worked as a door. That would be clever and well hidden, if one had to crawl through a barrel to enter the common room. It was kind of like how the wall to the Slytherin Common Room would turn into a door. Did she have to say a password to the barrel? That seemed a bit odd.

She tapped another barrel as she thought, perplexed by this seemingly innocent stack of barrels. The problem was, however, that they were not innocent at all and Andromeda was unlucky enough to find that out. She was tapping another barrel, trying to see if it was hollow as she had done to the walls, when with seemingly no warning a barrel upended itself, spilling its contents on her head.

"What?" Andromeda remarked confused. "How did that happen?"

Intrigued Andromeda went to perform the action again, curious if it would yield the same results, when she caught a whiff of herself. She smelled horrible. It was not an alcohol smell, which was unappealing in and of itself, but a much more poignant smell.

"Did it just dump vinegar on me?" Andromeda observed, sniffing herself once more. "That's just messed up. I do not like these barrels."

Giving the barrels a glare Andromeda kicked one of the bottom barrels. Feeling as though she had been properly redeemed for the vinegar injustice, it was a very good kick in her opinion, Andromeda sunk to the floor to sit and wait as Ted had commanded. She did not have to wait long. Ted returned, followed by Charity.

They took one step out of the barrel they had entered from, Andromeda smirked to herself at being right in that regard, took a sniff of the air, and groaned.

"I told you to stay put." Ted reminded crossly.

"There were barrels." Andromeda said as if this explained everything.

"So you admire the barrels, you do not tap the barrels. Ever." Ted said.

"You didn't tell me." Andromeda argued.

"I didn't think you'd start tapping barrels."

"Really? You didn't think she'd start tapping barrels?" Charity asked disbelievingly.

"I hoped her being drunk would overpower her usual tendencies." Ted explained.

"Well you were wrong." Andromeda declared.

"I really hate that vinegar trap." Charity observed. "Don't feel bad Andromeda, it's gotten us all sometime. One time Ted tripped and fell into the barrels and it got him."

"We really don't need to bring that up." Ted interrupted.

"It was hilarious though." Charity said. "It wasn't even just the one barrel, it was several. You smelled like vinegar for almost a week, remember?"

"All too clearly." Ted muttered. "Oi! Andromeda no sleeping in the hallway."

"Wha?" Andromeda exclaimed startled. "I was asleep. You woke me up."

"That was the objective." Ted remarked.

"Bit rude." Andromeda stated.

"You can go to sleep soon." Ted promised pulling Andromeda up. "You're going to stay with Charity tonight."

"That sounds pleasant." Andromeda said smiling at Charity. "Can I shower before that?"

"I'd appreciate that." Charity answered wrinkling her nose.

"You'll make sure she doesn't drown in the shower, yeah?" Ted asked Charity.

"I am capable of showering, Edward." Andromeda said hotly.

Ted raised an eyebrow.

"You couldn't even walk in a straight line." He pointed out.

"Your doubt of my abilities offends me." Andromeda replied.

"I'll make sure she survives." Charity whispered to Ted.

"Thanks." Ted replied. "All right, this is where we say good night."

"Night." Charity said as Andromeda gave a wave. "Come along Andromeda."

Andromeda followed Charity through the round door and down a confusing maze of tunnels. After a rather eventful shower, Andromeda had many times very nearly fallen asleep, Charity ushered Andromeda into the sixth year girls' dormitory.

"Spiffing." Andromeda observed before she fell asleep.

Andromeda fell asleep with a feeling as though she had resolved all her problems, she was happy, content, and everything had worked out quite nicely. Ted, on the other hand, went to bed without the slightest idea where they stood.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Not for the first time that year Andromeda woke up in unfamiliar surroundings. Blinking to adjust to the sudden light and drone of voices that filled the room, she was reasonably confused. The room was not the cool dark dorm room that she had grown accustomed to during her years at Hogwarts, nor was it the pristine sterile room that signified the Hospital Wing. The room was, instead, warm, circular, and gave off the feeling of living in a pod underneath the earth.

She sat up confused, rubbing her eyes, and trying to remember what series of events had happened to cause her to wake up in what she could only describe as an enlarged rabbit hole.

"Morning!" Charity chirped, dressed in her Hogwarts uniform.

Charity's face brought back a wave of memories and Andromeda groaned before flopping back onto the bed, burrowing under the covers.

"No. I am never emerging from this bed." Andromeda said decidedly.

"We have class." Charity replied.

"Bugger class." Andromeda remarked.

"That must be the hangover talking." Charity observed. "I don't imagine you to often bugger class."

"I am quitting at life." Andromeda declared.

"Do you mind quitting at life not in my bed?" Charity asked. "I do need to sleep there."

In response Andromeda rolled off the bed, still cocooned in the blanket, and landed on the floor. As if to further punctuate the idea that she was giving up.

"I need my blanket too." Charity remarked.

"It's cold on the floor." Andromeda told her. "It's January."

"We have class." Charity repeated. "And you need to change."

"I threw up in a broom closet." Andromeda moaned. "I actually threw up in a broom closet. What happened to my life?"

"That's what adulthood is all about, throwing up in a broom closet." Charity remarked.

Andromeda drew back the blanket to give Charity a confused look.

"Well, for you at least." Charity continued. "Your first day of your adulthood you threw up in a broom closet, it's kind of a harbinger of what's to come, innit?"

"Promising." Andromeda said. "You're really convincing me to go to class."

"I have another blanket in my trunk so it makes no difference to me if you live on my floor for the rest of your life." Charity replied with a shrug.

"Aren't Hufflepuffs supposed to be extremely nice and uplifting?" Andromeda asked.

"To their friends maybe." Charity agreed. "We've never even had a proper conversation though."

"We're having a conversation right now." Andromeda argued. "We shared a bed that is a bond that cannot be overlooked."

"So what you're saying is you want me to force you to get up and go to class slightly hung-over?" Charity asked.

"No." Andromeda answered. "Leave me here on the floor in my shame."

Charity shrugged and walked away from the bed to continue getting ready. Andromeda closed her eyes and attempted to go back to sleep, imagining what sort of life she could live on the floor of the sixth year Hufflepuff dorm. It seemed an appealing proposition. She also attempted to piece together what else she had done in her wine-induced stupor.

"Why are your blankets on the floor?" One of the girls in the room asked Charity loudly, making Andromeda wince. "You shouldn't make the house-elves pick that up, it's rude."

"An animal has turned them into its nest." Charity answered causing one of the girls to shriek.

"EW!" She yelped and Andromeda heard the sound of someone jumping onto a bed. "Is it a creepy looking one?"

"Yes." Charity answered.

"Get rid of it!" The girl shrieked once more.

Andromeda was considering hexing her because she was making so much noise and Andromeda's head hurt, but she had no idea where her wand was.

"It refuses to leave." Charity remarked.

"It can talk?" Another girl asked. "Just what kind of animal is this?"

"You don't even want to know." Charity told them. "It will probably be gone by lunch don't worry."

"It better be!" The girl shrieked once again.

"No offense, Miranda, but you might want to stop shrieking. It's like to make the thing under the blanket agitated and I'm pretty sure it will bite you." Charity warned.

Andromeda imagined the girl had a look of horror on her face as the room became silent at once.

"I'm going to breakfast." One of the other girls said quickly.

"I'll join you." Miranda agreed.

Andromeda heard the door open then close and she wondered how many people were left in the room. The floor was beginning to get rather uncomfortable. The room grew quiet and Andromeda dozed for a bit before she awoke with a start standing up, still covered in the blanket, and looking at Charity with wide eyes.

"I think I snogged Ted last night." She declared.

"Bloody hell!" A red haired girl who was still in the room exclaimed at the sudden noise.

"What!" Charity exclaimed at the same time.

"I'm actually pretty positive I snogged Ted last night." Andromeda repeated. "Yes, it definitely happened."

Charity looked at her gob smacked.

"Am I dreaming?" She asked.

"The pounding in my head says no." Andromeda replied.

"I owe Hestia twenty galleons." Charity observed. "I don't have twenty galleons! Why did you have to do that Andromeda?"

"Andromeda? What?" The red haired girl asked. "Are you _Andromeda Black?_"

"No." Andromeda answered. "My name is Lucinda Prescott. People think I look like Andromeda though so Charity is always ragging on me about it. I'm a seventh year Gryffindor, nice to meet you."

"Sharon Trevant." The red haired girl said. "I understand being called a different name because you look like someone; everyone calls me Ginger because I look like Ginger from Gilligan's Island."

"What is Gilligan's Island?" Andromeda asked.

"We call you Ginger because you have red hair." Charity replied. "No one even knows what Gilligan's Island _is._"

"You're a muggle-born too! You must have seen it." Ginger argued.

"Is that that weird show that was on for five episodes?" Charity asked. "Ted was well into because there was this fit bird on it and made me watch an episode."

"Yes!" Ginger exclaimed. "Tina Louise, she played Ginger."

"I have no idea what you two are talking about." Andromeda remarked.

"Are you a half-blood Lucinda?" Ginger asked.

"Yes." Andromeda agreed. "I don't understand that television thing you muggle-borns are always on about."

"It's too bad the wizarding world doesn't have it, it's quite good." Ginger remarked. "I'm going to breakfast anyways, nice meeting you Lucinda."

Almost as soon as Ginger had left the room Charity directed her attention to Andromeda.

"Back to the big reveal," She said, "you snogged Ted?"

"Yes." Andromeda agreed.

"How did that even happen?" Charity asked. "Have you two been keeping things from the rest of us, or was this a spur of the moment sort of thing?"

"I had no choice!" Andromeda defended to Charity's further confusion. "He was being so thick."

"You're going to have to give me more to go on here." Charity said.

"Well Ted kissed me a week ago-." Andromeda began.

"What!" Charity exclaimed. "Okay, we are all going to sit down and have a proper talk. You can't just go around kissing people and not tell anyone."

"Can we keep the talking to a low whisper?" Andromeda suggested. "All this yelling is killing me."

"Yes, all right." Charity agreed. "Come along then, we need to go find Ted."

Charity grabbed Andromeda's arm and began to drag her towards the door before Andromeda dragged her heels into the floor. Charity, surprisingly strong for her small stature, continued to drag Andromeda leaving her no choice but to fall to the floor and make it harder for her to moved.

"What?" Charity asked turning around.

"I look horrible." Andromeda explained.

"You haven't even seen yourself." Charity argued. "You could look magnificent."

"I threw up in a broom closet last night. There is no way a look magnificent." Andromeda argued. "I also still have your blanket."

Charity waited impatiently as Andromeda tried to make herself look somewhat presentable, a hard task to achieve when one had slept in their clothes from the night before. After a few moments she was ready, albeit reluctant, and allowed Charity to drag her from the room.

"Ted Tonks!" Charity hollered as soon as they were in the Common Room.

"You promised low whispering." Andromeda groaned.

"Right. Sorry." Charity apologized. "I know he wouldn't have gone down to breakfast, so where is that boy?"

"I'm going to go curl up on that couch and continue on my mission to cease to exist." Andromeda informed Charity, gesturing to a nearby couch.

"All right, I'll resuscitate you once I have found Ted." Charity said. "Don't leave though."

Andromeda made her way to the couch that was placed in the center of the warm round room. Had it not been for her hangover and the fact that Andromeda wanted to be anywhere but there, she perhaps would have admired the quaint homey feel of the Hufflepuff Common Room, with the round windows and cheery walls, but as it were she face planted into the couch, luckily unoccupied, and curled into the fetal position in an attempt to block out the rest of the world.

Charity, on the other hand, well known busy body and someone who possessed an ongoing interest in Ted Tonk's life, was scouring the Common Room for the boy. It ought to have been easy, considering the boy was significantly taller than most of the people who resided in the common room, but it seemed he was nowhere to be seen.

"Oi! Logan Saunders! Where's Ted?" Charity called, recognizing one of Ted's dorm mates.

"He was still sleeping last I checked." Logan answered with a shrug.

"Well go wake him up." Charity ordered.

"Why?" Logan asked.

"It's important." Charity said. "I will go in there and do it myself if I have to."

"All right, all right." Logan conceded. "You get so bossy when you want something."

Charity watched as Logan disappeared into a door and returned a few minutes later with Ted, who was still clad in his pajama bottoms, wiping sleep from his eyes. His hair was sticking up in the back and he looked incredibly confused.

"What's going on Charity?" He asked. "It's still so early."

"Come along." Charity ordered, grabbing Ted's arm and dragging him towards the couch. "Thank you Logan!"

Logan waved and went back to chatting with one of his friends, casting one last confused glance at Charity and Ted.

"I've no idea what that was about." He told his friends who were giving him questioning looks of their own. "They can be so odd sometimes."

"It has come to my attention, Ted, that you have not been completely honest with me." Charity declared.

"Good morning to you too." Ted replied. "I honestly have no idea what you are talking about."

"Andromeda." Charity said reaching the couch, Andromeda groaned again.

"We talked about this." She mumbled into the couch. "Low decibels only. No yelling."

"I wasn't yelling." Charity pointed out.

"Have you always been this loud or have you suddenly acquired the propensity to talk loudly?" Andromeda groaned.

Ted laughed.

"For Agrippa's sake! No laughing." Andromeda ordered. "Why are you all so loud?"

"Someone must be regretting all the wine they had last night." Ted observed.

"Someone is definitely regretting befriending people who don't seem to understand normal talking levels." Andromeda retorted.

"As cute as this deranged flirting is, there are more important things to discuss." Charity cut in.

"Can we discuss them softly?" Andromeda asked.

"Only if you let the rest of us join you on the couch." Charity proclaimed.

Andromeda moved to a sitting position.

"You're looking incredibly well put together this morning, Edward." She bit noting Ted's appearance for the first time.

"As do you, the rumpled hangover look goes nicely on you." Ted replied.

Andromeda gave him a sarcastic thumbs up, having neither the energy nor the patience to engage in clever quips at the moment.

"That's all well and good." Charity interrupted. "But can we please discuss how you two have apparently been kissing behind everyone's backs."

"You told?" Ted asked at the same time Andromeda exclaimed "It only happened twice!"

"In my defense." Andromeda said making a gesture to herself to summarize her current state.

"Fair enough." Ted allowed. "I will forgive you this time."

"Now that that's sorted, care to enlighten the rest of us?" Charity asked.

"I kissed Andromeda last week during rounds which is why she's been avoiding us all week, and then she kissed me last night." Ted summed up.

"I concur." Andromeda agreed. "That's pretty much exactly what happened; it's not all that thrilling."

"Well are you dating now or just snogging?" Charity pressed.

"I haven't the slightest idea." Ted answered honestly, as he had been wondering much the same.

"Probably." Andromeda answered at the same time.

As was to be expected, there was confusion from all parties involved in the conversation.

"How do you not know?" Andromeda asked.

"Well, you avoided me for a week, kissed me whilst drunk, then threw up in a broom closet." Ted explained. "It wasn't exactly conclusive, was it?"

"That's rough mate." Charity commented. "Never nice to have a girl get sick after kissing you."

"Need I remind you all that I was drunk? The vomit had nothing to do with the kissing." Andromeda defended.

"It's certainly off-putting though." Ted remarked. "I don't know what I'm supposed to get from getting kissed followed by getting sick in a broom closet. It doesn't exactly scream 'I'd like to go out with you.'"

"I don't just kiss people for fun." Andromeda retorted. "There's usually a reason behind it."

"People kiss other people when they're drunk for no reason at all." Ted pointed out.

"You're being difficult again." Andromeda remarked.

"I'm sorry if I didn't realize that your spiel about Slytherins cheating at the house cup meant you'd like to go out with me." Ted replied sarcastically.

"I knew it!" Charity interjected. "I knew there was no way they won almost every year fairly."

"You're being loud again." Andromeda pointed out grasping her head.

"Sorry." Charity apologized. "All right, there's an easy way to figure this all out. Do you two fancy each other and would like to date?"

"Yes." Ted answered reluctantly.

Andromeda let out a groan.

"I am going to getting disowned." She muttered into the couch.

"I think that's a yes." Charity remarked smiling at Ted.

"Most unconventional yes I've ever heard." Ted said. "You can really feel the excitement and complete lack of self-hatred."

"I think it's the best you're going to get." Charity observed.

Andromeda let out a strangled yes into the couch.

"I actually wasn't expecting any sort of actual confirmation." Ted remarked.

"I hadn't either." Charity agreed.

"You're both pricks." Andromeda told them, lifting her head from the couch.

"You're the one who just agreed to go out with a prick, so what does that say about you?" Ted pointed out smiling cheekily.

"I've just realized." Charity interjected. "Now I owe Molly five galleons. I'm going to be absolutely broke."

"If you only have five galleons I'm concerned for your well-being." Ted remarked.

"Well I've also lost twenty galleons to Hestia because you guys kissed." Charity explained.

"Have you guys been betting on me?" Ted asked.

"We had to pass the time somehow."

"As lovely as this is," Andromeda interjected standing up. "I am going to go back to my dorm room and get dressed and make up some lie to tell my sister when she asks where I got off to last night."

"Are you and Bellatrix talking?" Ted asked a hint of disapproval in his voice.

"The other one." Andromeda said waving him off. "I'm going now, goodbye."

"Bye." Ted and Charity said.

"You should probably get dressed." Andromeda told Ted before exiting through the door.

"Did that just happen?" Ted asked Charity in shock once she had left.

"I think it just may have."

* * *

><p>Andromeda arrived back in the Slytherin Common Room and made an attempt to get to her dorm room unnoticed by any of her fellow Slytherins. As it was, luck did not seem to be on Andromeda's side. Just as she thought that she was safe, making her way down the stairs to her dorm, Andromeda ran into Narcissa who for once was not followed by her pack of purebloods.<p>

"Andromeda!" She greeted cheerfully, dressed in the school uniform. "Did you just get in?"

"Yes." Andromeda answered conscious of her own appearance. "Are you on your way to breakfast?"

"I am I'm meeting Solace and Dagmar there. They had to talk with Slughorn so I told them I would catch up with them later." Narcissa explained. "Where did you get off to tonight if you're just getting in?"

Narcissa glanced over Andromeda's appearance and Andromeda felt as though she had failed her younger sister in some way, by walking about looking like such a wreck.

"I'm not entirely sure. I think I meant to go to the kitchens but I woke up in one of the hallways down here." Andromeda lied. "I must have gotten lost."

"Well you better go get changed." Narcissa commented. "Do you want me to wait for you? We can go to breakfast together."

"Oh no, it's quite all right. I don't know how long I'll be." Andromeda declined. "Thank you, though."

"I'll see you later then." Narcissa said. "Good bye!"

"Good bye." Andromeda waved before heading down the stairs.

She arrived in her room and to her dismay found that her fellow dorm mates were still getting ready. She tried to make as little show of herself as possible, aware that they would be talking about her the minute she left, but it was all for naught. They all turned at once upon hearing the door open.

"Hullo Andromeda." Juniper Flint greeted amicably.

"Hullo Juniper." Andromeda replied.

"Just getting in, Andromeda?" Lieselot Selwyn asked eyebrow raised accusingly.

"Yes." Andromeda answered. "You know how it is with the Knights of Walpurgis meetings. Oh wait, I suppose you don't since you're still sixteen. Shame."

"I heard you got kicked out of the Knights before you were even officially in?" Rosemary Davenport asked confused.

"This is pureblood business Rosemary." Andromeda and Lieselot cut, glaring at Rosemary whose face fell.

Andromeda felt bad, swallowing her guilt as she knew she had to keep her reputation, but Lieselot looked at the girl superiorly, a pleased smirk settled on her face.

"Sorry." Rosemary muttered to feet. "It's only that's what I heard."

"I did hear that you were told you couldn't join." Lieselot remarked.

"I suppose you heard wrong then, didn't you?" Andromeda replied snootily. "Better get your source of information checked. Still relying on Rita Skeeter, are you? She makes half of her 'gossip' up you know."

Lieselot looked incredibly put out.

"She's not even a pureblood." Andromeda pointed out. "Really been slumming, haven't you Lieselot? No offense, Rosemary."

Rosemary smiled weakly at Andromeda. Lieselot attempted to open her mouth to make a cutting remark but Andromeda continued.

"In any case, I'm going to get changed. I'd really rather not have to deal with reminding you of the social order in pureblood society this early in the morning." She said heading over to her bed. "If you need a quick reminder, then I'm sure Juniper can run you through it once more."

Juniper smiled at Andromeda at the mention as Andromeda headed towards her bed.

"The way it works is the Blacks are on top-." Juniper began fully prepared to give a history lesson to Lieselot.

"I know how it works, Juniper!" Lieselot cut her off annoyed. "You're so stupid sometimes, Merlin."

"I was only trying to help." Juniper remarked frowning.

Rosemary gave her a sympathetic look.

"It won't always be that way. One of these days the Blacks are going to fall to disgrace and then where will you be?" Lieselot threatened.

"Juniper." Andromeda said not looking up. "Would you care to remind our dear friend Lieselot here just how she ranks in pureblood society? I'm afraid she's forgotten and is overstepping herself once more."

"Well the Selwyns are very near the bottom, certainly not one of the more esteemed houses." Juniper commented broad smile on her face. "If the Blacks ever fell from disgrace, which would never happen, the Malfoys would be the next best house. The Selwyns would have to go through a lot to even be considered."

Andromeda shrugged at Lieselot smugly.

"Thank you Juniper." She said warmly, smiling at her. "I've always been quite impressed with your ability to memorize the families so well."

"Oh you're quite welcome." Juniper beamed.

Lieselot stomped her foot irately.

"I'm going to breakfast." She declared. "Rosemary, come along."

Rosemary followed sheepishly wishing she could disappear.

"Aren't I invited?" Juniper asked confused.

"No." Lieselot answered casting one last glare at Andromeda before exiting, Rosemary in tow.

"Andromeda?" Juniper asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Juniper?" Andromeda replied pulling out her uniform.

"May I eat lunch with you today?" Juniper asked looking forlorn.

"Of course." Andromeda answered smiling. "Just let me get ready."

Juniper smiled at Andromeda thankfully.

"Oh, Andromeda?" Juniper said again making Andromeda look up. "Happy belated birthday."

"Thank you Juniper." Andromeda said with a smile. "It was actually quite all right as birthdays go."

* * *

><p>The day went on with no bigger ado. Life was growing comfortable again, complacent, or at least as complacent as Andromeda's life seemed to be. It was, at least, that she for once was not avoiding anyone, not fighting anyone, sans Bellatrix but she did not count, not kissing people on a whim, and in general having a relatively good, hangover aside.<p>

She went to class, had lunch, went to class, then returned to her dorm to do her homework. It was as uneventful as most days of Hogwarts tended to go. It wasn't until she got back to her room that she recalled what Narcissa had been telling her all day. She had missed this morning, in her rush and the slight dramatics, the pile of presents that were arranged neatly on her bed. It was odd, birthdays were usually accompanied by presents but she had not been expecting them at all, between everything else she had completely forgotten the usual tradition. The pile wasn't massive, just a short little collection of presents from the usual sources, but Andromeda had grown used to that fact.

She sat down, homework ignored for the moment, and set about unwrapping her presents. From her parents she had received a Black family heirloom, a rather typical expected present as Andromeda had received a ring last year. This time it was a necklace, old and beautiful, obviously goblin work inset with a bloodstone. Andromeda had admired it since her youth when she had first glanced it in her mother's jewelry box. It was not one of the most prized Black possessions, those would not be divvied out for years, but it was enough.

From her grandparents she had received earrings, simple and pearl. They held no specific importance, but it was well known knowledge that every high society girl ought to be in possession of some good pearls. Narcissa had gotten her a stunning scarf, burgundy, and Andromeda noted there was an obvious lack of a gift from Bellatrix. The rest of her gifts were standard for a seventeen year old, some quills, a watch, a book from Uncle Alphard who was insistent on the furtherance of Andromeda's mind.

She stopped when she reached the last box and bit her lip, having nearly forgotten completely about Walden MacNair. She opened it awkwardly, unsure, for the first time remembering the complications that were every present in her life, but she pushed them away to deal with later. She did not have to solve all the world's problems in a day.

The necklace, for that's what it was, was simple and elegant. A golden locket with beautiful embroidery. Andromeda looked at it guiltily and wondered at the origins. The locket held too much meaning and was a sharp reminder of a life she was trying to ignore. She slammed it back in the box and shoved it in her trunk to be remembered at a later date. She went about her homework, making a mental note to send out thank you letters later, when the guilt she was feeling was not so sharp, attempting to drown herself in Ancient Runes.

She would deal with it later, much later.

* * *

><p>Homework finished, dinner eaten, thank you letters sent, it was time for patrols. It was odd returning to the regularity of patrols when Andromeda had purposefully been avoiding them for the past week. It was almost unfamiliar, meeting Ted in the Entrance Hall.<p>

"Hullo." Andromeda greeted when Ted arrived coming up the stairs that led to the Hufflepuff common room.

"Hullo." Ted replied.

"You're looking much more put together than this morning." Andromeda commented taking in Ted's rather messy appearance. "As put together as you get, at least."

"I find I'm more impressive when I have just woken up." Ted agreed with a laugh. "You're back to your orderly self as well."

"It's odd the difference not being hung-over can make." Andromeda commented.

A silence came over them for a few minutes as they started their rounds.

"This is weird, isn't it?" Ted asked breaking the silence.

"This is weird." Andromeda agreed. "I just. What are we meant to be doing?"

"You think we'd be able to gather from past experience." Ted remarked.

"In my past experience I never actually liked the people I was involved with that much so I spent most of my time avoiding them as much as possible." Andromeda pointed out. "I don't think that is the way we want this to go at all."

"That wouldn't work at all." Ted agreed smiling to himself. "Especially since you can't avoid me for shit."

"I did pretty well for a week!" Andromeda defended.

"Then you got drunk and the first thing you did was try and find me." Ted pointed out. "How well did that work out for you?"

"Pretty well actually." Andromeda observed. "There are far worse things that could have happened."

Ted nodded his agreement.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Andromeda blurted out suddenly causing Ted to look at her in confusion.

"What?" He asked.

"I mean, are you sure you really want to go through with this." Andromeda repeated. "It's going to be so complicated and I'd understand completely on second thought you decide its way too much work. I won't begrudge you at all. Well I will a little bit but I won't be blatant about it. Probably."

"Comforting." Ted remarked wryly.

"I don't think you've really thought this through though." Andromeda continued as Ted raised an eyebrow.

"You're right, I haven't thought about this at all." Ted replied sarcastically. "It never even crossed my mind till last week."

"Stop." Andromeda ordered. "I don't mean it like that I mean, my life is so complicated right now. We won't even be able to date publicly because you might very well get dismembered. That's an actual possibility. No sane person wants to get involved with that, Ted."

"I'm well aware of the risks, Andromeda." Ted said with a laugh. "You left me with Travers for our last two patrols, he's not exactly subtle."

"Sorry about that." Andromeda apologized biting her lip. "Travers owed me patrols and it was all pretty handy for me."

"I've heard worse things." Ted replied with a shrug. "After a while it just gets to be the same prejudice nonsense over and over again. Hardly bothers me anymore."

"It does though." Andromeda pointed out.

"Well, fundamentally yes, but you get used to it." Ted explained. "People are stupid and backwards, there's not much you can do about it."

"You're going to open yourself up to all of that if you date me though." Andromeda said.

"Not if no one finds out." Ted reminded her. "I'm not going to flat out tell people we're dating, I'm not stupid."

"That's not normal. You're not supposed to have to hide when you're dating someone." Andromeda argued. "Date someone normal."

"Normal is boring." Ted remarked. "Normal has nothing on you."

"How are we even going to date? We can't go to Hogwarts normally or even talk in the hallways." Andromeda pointed out.

"You happen to be in the company of someone who has discovered a fair number of ways out of this castle." Ted remarked smiling roguishly.

"You would." Andromeda muttered.

"Look, Andromeda do _you_ want to date me? If you don't that's fine." Ted said. "We should be clear where we stand before begin anything. I understand it's a risk on both parts and if that makes you-."

"It's not that." Andromeda cut him off. "It's not that I don't want to date you, it's that I don't want to drag you into the mess that is my life. You have the perfect opportunity to be happy and not have to deal with all this craziness."

"I'm perfectly fine with getting involved in your craziness, so I suppose that leaves at an impasse." Ted remarked with a smile. "Look, no one said it would be easy, it won't be, but the things that are worth it never are."

"I better have a big payoff coming then." Andromeda said with a laugh. "Nothing has been easy for me in a while."

"That's why I'm here." Ted pointed out cockily, teasing smile on his face.

"I was hoping for something a bit grander than that." Andromeda deadpanned.

"Bit mean." Ted said attempting to look wounded.

"Aw." Andromeda fake-simpered patting his face. "You better get used to it."

"See, this is going to be fun." Ted stated throwing an arm over Andromeda's shoulder.

"That's one way to say it." Andromeda scoffed.

"First we're going to have to work on your attitude though." Ted observed.

Andromeda gasped.

"Do you have a problem with my attitude, Edward?" She asked in mock-shock. "I thought I was the epitome of niceness."

"Aww that's just what people tell you when they're afraid you might hex them." Ted explained.

"A trait you are obviously lacking." Andromeda observed. "We're going to have to fix that."

"This is going to be a beneficial experience for the both of us then." Ted declared. "We're going to grow so much! You'll become nicer and I'll become more timid, I suppose."

"No that doesn't work for me." Andromeda remarked.

"It doesn't work for me either." Ted agreed. "We'll just have to put up with each other's personality flaws then."

"I suppose so." Andromeda huffed. "I will do my best."

"That's all I could ever ask." Ted said kissing the top of her head.

"You're a very touchy, personal space invader type, aren't you?" Andromeda asked.

"Yes." Ted agreed.

"I'm going to have to get used to that." Andromeda observed.

"I think that'd be for the best."

They walked in comfortable silence for a little awhile.

"Used to it yet?" Ted asked.

"No, not quite." Andromeda replied.

"It's okay, we'll work on it."


	14. Chapter Fourteen

In Charms class the next day Andromeda was diligently taking notes when an all too familiar scrawl appeared amidst her meticulous notes. Rather than read the actual note that had messed up her meticulous notes Andromeda turned around and glared at Ted, who sat towards the back of the room in Charms. Ted, in turn, smiled broadly at Andromeda.

With a huff of annoyance Andromeda turned back around and looked at the messy scrawl that besmeared her notes.

_Meet me in the classroom upstairs._

Subtle, Andromeda thought rolling her eyes at the paper. Still, she found it harder to concentrate on what Flitwick was teaching them when all she could think of was what exactly Ted wanted that he couldn't wait until a better time presented herself.

She did not have to wait very long.

Class ended and Andromeda shrugged off Juniper, who had been following her about as Lieselot had not yet forgiven her for 'speaking out of turn' or whatever it was that Lieselot had deemed Juniper had done wrong. Andromeda convinced her that she would see Juniper lunch at shortly, she just had to ask Professor McGonagall about their essay that was due tomorrow before she forgot. Juniper believed it easily and Andromeda was soon on her way to the empty classroom upstairs.

"You should probably teach me that spell." Andromeda observed when Ted entered a few minutes after her.

"So you can send me inappropriate messages and ruin my notes? Hell no." Ted replied smiling.

"Ruining my notes is all right though?" Andromeda asked dryly.

"I hardly think it counts as ruining when we all know that you read every chapter of the book and take meticulous notes of your own." Ted pointed out. "I don't read the book; I need my shabby notes kept in peace."

Andromeda rolled her eyes.

"What business do you have with me that you needed to summon me cryptically to an empty classroom in the middle of the day anyhow? This all seems very shady." Andromeda remarked.

"Our whole relationship is shady." Ted pointed out. "That's not the point though, I have something for you."

"With that comment you've increased the shadiness of this meeting by ten percent." Andromeda said wryly.

"If you're going to be difficult you can forget it." Ted said.

"Fine." Andromeda conceded. "I'll behave."

"Hell has frozen over." Ted observed teasingly.

"Oi! I am very well behaved thank you very much." Andromeda exclaimed.

"You threw up in a broom closet." Ted reminded.

"That was a special circumstance." Andromeda defended.

"You also sat on Charity's counter." Ted continued.

"You made me do that!" Andromeda argued. "In fact you forced me to sit on her counter."

"We seem to remember these incidents differently." Ted observed.

"If this is the only reason why you disturbed my Charms notes then I'm going to go eat lunch." Andromeda declared.

"All right, all right, I'm done." Ted said.

"Good." Andromeda said crossing her arms expectantly. "Now what's this thing you have for me?"

"Right! Well I forgot to give it to you last night…" Ted said digging into his bag. "I would have given it to you Wednesday even but you were avoiding me and then you were throwing up in broom closets-."

"We don't talk about that." Andromeda interrupted.

"Sorry, you were off your face." Ted corrected. "The point is the opportunity never presented itself so now I have to give it to you late and my bag is a complete mess."

"What a surprise." Andromeda remarked sarcastically.

"Don't be impertinent." Ted said still digging around in his bag. "Found it!"

Ted pulled a carefully wrapped, small parcel out of his bag and presented it to Andromeda. The wrapping paper had ripped during its duration in the cesspool that was Ted's bag.

"You got me a birthday present." Andromeda observed in surprise.

"Your birthday was Wednesday." Ted pointed out. "I bought it over holidays."

"How did you even know it was my birthday?" Andromeda asked. "Before, I mean."

"You mentioned it." Ted said with a shrug.

"I don't remember that at all." Andromeda observed. "Impressive memory, that."

"I'm good with birthdays." Ted said. "Now are you going to open it or what?"

"Right." Andromeda said as if the thought had just occurred to her. "I'm rubbish at my birthday."

"Evidently." Ted agreed.

Andromeda set about unwrapping the parcel, but as he had done when wrapping her Christmas present, Ted had used an overabundance of tape that left Andromeda struggling.

"You know you're complete rubbish at wrapping right?" Andromeda asked as she pried at one of the rips in the paper.

"You just have to know the trick." Ted argued.

"Which is? I don't think I could even unwrap this with magic." Andromeda exclaimed.

Ted took the present back from her, turned it round in his hands a bit as if looking for something, then pulled at a segment of the paper ripping it effectively. Smugly, he handed it back to Andromeda who raised an eyebrow.

"Well if you use dark magic." Andromeda muttered crossly.

"How'd you manage to open my last one if you couldn't even open this?" Ted asked with a laugh.

"I stabbed the paper multiple times with my quill till it gave way." Andromeda said as she finished unwrapping. "It was very effective."

If it was possible, Ted laughed even more.

"Normal people only use a little tape." Andromeda grumbled.

"Where's the fun in that?" Ted asked cheekily.

Andromeda pulled the rest of the paper off only to find a small paper bag carefully wrapped round itself and taped shut.

"You've got to be kidding me." She said.

"I wanted to make sure it was safe." Ted explained. "That wasn't even taped much."

Andromeda heaved a sigh of annoyance and went about opening the bag.

"None of my other presents were this difficult to open you know." She said.

"I bet your other presents were boring." Ted replied.

"My Uncle Alphard got me a book." Andromeda remarked.

"Thrilling." Ted commented.

"Narcissa got me a scarf as well." She continued thinking back to her presents. "The rest was mostly jewelry."

Finished with unwrapping the bag, Andromeda dumped the contents on her hand.

"Oh look, you're on theme!" She declared as a bracelet fell out.

"I suppose it's no family heirloom or anything." Ted began awkwardly.

"Bugger family heirlooms." Andromeda said waving him off. "I can't actually wear them about on any occasion."

It was simple enough, green and silver threads braided in with a chain. It met at an end with a complicated looking clasp and a few decorative beads; hanging off the end was a small tawny feather.

"It's like a sirrah!" Andromeda exclaimed to Ted's confusion.

"A what?" He asked.

"A sirrah. You need to talk to Xenophilius more. They're brilliant." Andromeda explained. "Well put it on."

"Oh you don't have to wear it." Ted said as Andromeda thrust her arm out expectantly.

Andromeda gave Ted a look.

"Fine." Ted conceded taking the bracelet back.

"Thank you." Andromeda said once the bracelet was secured around her wrist. "Really."

"You're welcome." Ted replied.

Andromeda smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Now that my birthdays settled, can we go to lunch?" She asked. "I'm starving."

"Fine by me." Ted agreed, smile on his face.

* * *

><p>January quickly turned into February and that meant one thing to all the sixth years, apparition lessons. Most of the sixth years entered their first apparition lesson a mixture of nervous and excited, unsure exactly what apparition would be like or how hard it was going to be. A fair few entered confident, having side-along apparated enough times that the idea didn't leave them anxious in the least.<p>

The week leading up to apparition lessons was a flurry of excited talking; those who had side-along apparated were harassed almost nonstop with questions of what it felt like, how it was done. Finally, it was the first Saturday of their twelve week apparition lessons and all the sixth years were standing about in huddles on the lawn outside of the castle chattering excitedly. They stood in clusters in front of Slughorn, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Tarazed, the head of houses as well as a witch who seemed to be from the Ministry.

She smiled brightly at them, her once rich brown hair riddled with grey, thick about the middle and wearing tight, ill-fitting robes.

"What a sight." Juniper breathed next to Andromeda wrinkling her nose. "How hard is it to get clothes that fit anyways?"

"Perhaps she's in denial that they don't fit?" Elvendork Witherspoon injected, the other sixth year Slytherin.

"Who cares about her robes?' Andromeda exclaimed crossly. "Why do we have to do our bleeding apparition lessons out here in the cold? I know for a fact they did them indoors last year."

"It was raining last year." Juniper explained. "When it rains they do it in the Great Hall, but it happens to be nice out today."

"If nice out means freezing." Andromeda grumbled, wrapping her scarf around tighter. "Someone should have given me a new winter coat for my birthday."

"It's not that cold, Andromeda." Elvendork remarked, placing an ungloved hand in her pocket. "You can have my gloves if you want? I'm not using them."

"Brilliant." Andromeda said taking the offered gloves and slipping them over her own. "Why aren't you with Lieselot anyhow? I thought you were in her circle."

"Lieselot's a bitch." Elvendork said as if that explained everything, Juniper nodded.

"I won't disagree with you there." Andromeda replied.

The Ministry witch cleared her throat and the talking stopped as everyone looked at her expectantly. Elvendork made a sound of disapproval when she looked at the witch again, but besides that the teenagers were generally quiet.

"Good morning." The Ministry witch greeted. "I'm Bathsheba Goshawk and I'll be your Ministry Apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks. Hopefully I will be able to prepare you for your Apparition Tests during this time. "

A flurry of excited talking started up again at the mention of Apparition Tests and the Head of Houses called for quiet, once the students had been calmed down Bathsheba Goshawk continued.

"As you all know it is generally impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within the Hogwarts ground, but the headmaster has lifted this enchantment on this segment of the lawns for the next hour so that you many practice. I would like to remind you that outside this section of the lawns you will be unable to apparate within Hogwarts, and it would be unwise to try." She continued, speaking over the dull noise of the students who could not shut up. "Now then, if each of you could please place yourself so that there is a clear five feet of space ahead of you."

The students began to move and the lawn quickly became chaos as everyone jockeyed for a spot. Arguments broke out over who was standing where, twin sisters Fiona and Winifred Appleby began to argue loudly over who got to stand next to their mutual crush, Hunter Friedrichson. Andromeda was pushed along by various students as they tried to stand next to their friends and was soon separated from Juniper and Elvendork.

The Heads of Houses forced their way into the crowd and separated students telling them where to stand. Professor Tarazed, Head of Hufflepuff house and Astronomy professor, took on the Appleby twins and managed to separate them as a horrified Hunter Friedrichson tried to slink away towards his own friends.

"Miss Black!" Flitwick exclaimed coming face to face with Andromeda. "Come along."

Andromeda followed the small professor, shoving her way through still quarreling students to keep him in sight. He brought her to the more orderly section of students where a line had managed to form and pointed to a spot.

"Stand there, please Miss Black." He said waiting until she was standing before going to organize more students.

"Were you squabbling over a spot next to Hunter Friedrichson as well?" Xenophilius asked as soon as Flitwick had disappeared.

Andromeda started, had not taken into account who Flitwick had placed her next to. In her luck, she had forced him next to Xenophilius.

"The Appleby twins are insane." Andromeda commented. "Hunter Friedrichson isn't even that attractive."

"Oi!" Fiona Appleby exclaimed a few people down from Xenophilius. "Hunter Friedrichson is a Quidditch _god._"

"Didn't he get suspended?" Andromeda asked in confusion.

"He got caught with some ground up snargaluff pods." Xenophilius commented. "Instant suspension."

"He was framed." Fiona Appleby argued.

"Ground up snargaluff pods?" Andromeda asked mildly impressed. "Who knew Hunter Friedrichson was so hardcore?"

"Don't give him too much credit, he wasn't found with Dragon's Breath or anything." Xenophilius replied. "Snargaluff pods are pretty weak as it goes."

"Are you lot honestly discussing how serious Hunter Friedrichson's drug problem is?" Charity interjected.

"He doesn't have a drug problem!" Fiona Appleby maintained in outrage.

"He seems pretty zonked right now." Andromeda observed as Hunter Friedrichson wandered out of his spot in line.

Fiona Appleby pursed her lips as Professor Tarazed rushed over and forced Hunter back into line.

"Twenty sickles he splinches himself." Andromeda observed.

"That's not a solid bet Charity, you'll lose." Xenophilius warned as Charity opened her mouth to accept.

"Fine." Charity grumbled. "Has anyone seen Ted? I lost him between Parminder screaming at Chuck to get out of her way."

Andromeda shrugged as Xenophilius peered into the crowd for a blonde head.

"I don't see him." Xenophilius said.

As if on cue, McGonagall's voice broke through the crowd.

"Mr. Tonks, please leave Miss Davenport alone and get in line!" McGonagall ordered.

A few seconds later Ted came loping into the line laughing. He squished himself between Charity and Peter Bakersfield who had previously been standing next to her.

"Oi!" Peter exclaimed as he got shoved into Wendy Sanderly.

"Sorry mate." Ted apologized still laughing.

"What were you doing to poor Rosemary?" Charity asked at once, a hint of scolding in her voice.

"I just wanted to know if she wanted to stand next to me and then Lieselot Selwyn all but flipped her lid." Ted answered. "I was only trying to increase intra-house relations."

"You're a glutton for punishment." Charity said with a shake of her head.

"I'm sorry if you don't care about intra-house relations as much as I do." Ted apologized. "What are you doing here Andromeda? Shouldn't you be with Juniper Flint and Elvendork Witherspoon? Ridiculous name, by the way."

"Professor Flitwick ordered me to stand over here." Andromeda replied.

"She was fighting with Marietta Williams over who got to stand next to Hunter Friedrichson." Xenophilius interjected.

"Doesn't Hunter Friedrichson do drugs?" Ted asked, receiving a sound of annoyance from Fiona Appleby.

"Is everyone done making arses of themselves?" Andromeda asked crossly looking at the group of students still being organized. "It's bloody freezing out here."

"It's not that cold." Charity observed, winter coat unbuttoned.

"You do look as though the winter wear catalogue has thrown up on you." Xenophilius observed.

"I hate February." Andromeda grumbled. "It's so _cold_."

"Are you wearing two scarves?" Ted asked bemused.

Andromeda was, indeed, wearing two scarves. Her Slytherin one and the one Narcissa had given her both adorned her neck but still she was cold.

"I'd offer you mine but muggleborn germs." Ted continued and Charity nodded. "Xenophilius you're half-blood give Andromeda your scarf."

"But I _am _cold." Xenophilius argued.

"Selfish." Ted said. "Fine, give Andromeda your scarf and I'll give you mine. Sorted?"

"Can you promise me your scarf doesn't have nargles?" Xenophilius asked.

Ted glanced at his scarf as if examining it.

"Well, no." He allowed. "I can't in good conscious promise something that isn't necessarily true."

"Then we're at an impasse." Xenophilius decided.

"For fuck's sake." Andromeda exclaimed startling everyone. "Septima Peters! If you don't get in line right now I am going to hex you so bad you'll wish you'd never been born!"

Septima Peters, one of the last few people still being sorted looked up startled and wide eyed. She scurried into line and the rest of the students followed suit. The group around Andromeda all raised an eyebrow, Charity let out a low whistle.

"Can we please start now?" Andromeda asked Bathsheba Goshawk who nodded, looking slightly afraid.

"Right." She said clearing her throat as the students looked at her expectantly. "Now then."

She waved her wand and old-fashioned wooden hoops appeared in front of every student. Ted mumbled something to Charity and they both let out snorts of laughter. Andromeda glared at the hoop as if it was the only thing standing between her and the warmth of Hogwarts.

"The important thing to remember when Apparating are the three D's: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation." Goshawk explained. "First, fix your mind upon the desired _destination._ Which, in this case, is the interior of you hoop. Please concentrate on that destination now."

Some of the students looked about hesitantly to check to see if others were staring at their hoops, then followed suit. Andromeda, who was still glaring at her hoop as if it had offended her, took note of the half melted snow it was resting upon and wished she was anywhere but there. Ted, Charity, and Xenophilius seemed to be focusing on their own hoops although it was just as likely that Xenophilius was still contemplating the possibility of nargles in Ted's scarf, as he cast the same detached wondering look on his hoop as he did anything else.

"Second, focus your _determination _to occupy the visualized space. Allow your want to enter it to flood every particle of your body." Goshawk continued to instruct. "Finally, and only when I give the instruction, turn on the spot, feel your way into nothingness and move in _deliberation _into the hoop. On my command now, one…two…"

Andromeda looked about to take into stock the rest of her classmates briefly, there was a mixture of concentration and disbelief spreading across their faces. It seemed that most were surprised at being asked to take part in Apparition so soon. Andromeda met eyes with Ted over Charity's head and he smiled briefly winking at her. Andromeda raised an eyebrow, fully expecting Ted would upend himself.

"Three!" Goshawk said.

Chaos erupted down the line of sixth years. All over they were turning on their spots and falling over in ungraceful masses. Hunter Friedrich, who was concentrating as well as anyone who had clearly smoked up before showing up in his own confusion wandered into his hoop as if this was the intention of the lesson. Rosemary Davenport down the line had ended up in her hoop as well, although from the expression of Lieselot Selwyn, who was lying on the floor, it was evident she had leaped rather than apparated.

Charity was on the ground, having turned and planted into the snow almost at once. Xenophilius and Andromeda were some of the only few still standing as Xenophilius had wandered off into his own land and Andromeda had been so busy cursing her hoop in her mind to actually turn on the spot. Ted, clumsy person that he was, had turned on his spot, taken out Peter Bakersfield next to him, fallen backwards and somehow managed to roll into his hope. He was sitting there, sprawled out with his foot hanging almost in Charity's hoop, which he had kicked into Andromeda's whose own hoop had skittered off several feet away, goofy grin on his face.

"At least I ended up in my hoop!" He declared as Charity picked herself up. "Did you lot even try?"

Xenophilius blinked back from his thoughts, took one look at Ted, and burst out laughing. Charity, once she had righted herself did much the same as Andromeda bit back a laugh herself.

As the rest of the sixth years picked themselves up Goshawk looked on unimpressed, as if she had expected such a thing to happen.

"It's all right." She said. "Adjust your hoops please and back to your original positions."

Andromeda looked about for her hoop, for the first time noticing it had become collateral in Ted's attempt and with a disgruntled sigh made her way towards where it had skirted further away. Ted adjusted Charity's hoop for her and turned to make his way to pick up Andromeda's, having not noticed she had gone to fetch it herself, when Andromeda dropped it down next to him herself.

"Sorry." He apologized as she set it down.

"It's all right." Andromeda said waving him off. "You did a number on Bakersfield."

Andromeda and Ted made their way back to their spots and Ted apologized to Bakersfield who was sporting the beginnings of a very nasty bruise where Ted had accidentally hit him.

The next few attempts went about the same. Andromeda and Xenophilius both fell over in their attempts a handful of times and no one managed to apparate into their hoops, although a few continued to accidentally end up in them by other means.

It wasn't until their sixth attempt that anything really interesting happened at all. Ted, who had been falling into Peter Bakersfield with such regularity that Peter was beginning to feel it wasn't unintentional at all but rather on purpose was finding it harder to forgive Ted each time, managed to fall the opposite way leaving a relieved Peter still standing.

Unfortunately for Charity, however, Ted had turned on the spot into her and knocked her over. The rest was a domino effect. Charity, who was mid turn herself, was besieged by the sudden weight of Ted and swung out wildly close lining Andromeda, who in turn was wobbling uncertainly towards Charity as she attempted to apparate. Ted, Charity, and Andromeda all fell into a communal blob, Andromeda at the last moment accidentally kicking Xenophilius who was falling towards Fiona Appleby with such rapidity that Fiona, who had not even begun to apparate, had no choice but to stare in horror.

At the last moment by sheer luck Ted swung his arms out, perhaps in an attempt to catch someone who he had been taking down with him, and clocked Peter Bakersfield in the face as they all fell to the ground. Peter, who had already fallen to the ground himself and was lying there in a disbelieving state that he had somehow managed to not get hit for once felt the sudden impact of Ted's hand against his face and snapped.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" He screamed in outrage as Ted's hand broke his glasses.

While all of this was happening, Hunter Friedrichson had somehow managed to concentrate long enough that out of all the students in the line he had managed to apparate, not walk, into the hoop. However, he was not successful as all that. Hunter Friedrichson let out a quick "shit" as the Heads of Houses and Bathsheba Goshawk rushed over to him.

There was a bang and a puff of smoke and Hunter Friedrichson was reunited with his lost body part, looking as confused as ever.

"Splinching." Goshawk proclaimed turning to the students slightly frazzled. "Is the separation of random body parts and it can happen if one is not properly determined. You must remember to focus on your destination and move, slowly and with deliberation."

Andromeda groaned from underneath the weight of Charity and Ted, as she had somehow ended up beneath them both.

"Thank God Hestia isn't here." Charity observed almost out of nowhere.

"What?" Andromeda asked.

"She'd have thought this was quite the party." Charity explained with a laugh. "Although she'd rather you not be here, sorry Ted."

"No offense taken." Ted said pulling himself off of the group. "You all right there Bakersfield?"

Peter Bakersfield glared at Ted with such intensity that Ted's smile dropped off his face and he turned to Xenophilius.

"Suppose we swap spots?" He asked Xenophilius who was pulling himself off of Fiona Appleby. "I think Bakersfield needs a reprieve to let his bruises form."

"Hell no." Andromeda and Fiona said at the same time as Xenophilius looked ready to agree.

"Yes please." Peter chimed in.

Charity wordlessly got off of Andromeda and dusted herself off. Andromeda pulled herself up and noted with some surprise that they were gaining very little attention. Between Hunter Friedrichson splinching himself, Bathsheba Goshawk prattling on about the three D's of Apparition, and everyone else's own inabilities it seemed that no one had even noticed the human wrecking ball that was Ted Tonks.

"You wound me." Ted said pouting. "Why does no one want to stand next to me?"

"I'll swap with Bakersfield." Xenophilius offered and Peter accepted at once.

Andromeda found herself next to the bruised and battered Peter, who was squinting towards his hoop with the remnants of his glasses, clearly planning on repairing them later if they could be repaired.

The rest of the lesson passed on rather uneventfully, Ted continued to fall over and take other people as collateral, a few more students splinched themselves, and most everyone found themselves at one time or another face first in the snow. At the end of the lesson Goshawk vanished the hoops and dismissed them all.

Bands of students made their way towards the castle, talking about how close they had been to apparating and Andromeda began to make her way wordlessly, falling back behind Ted, Charity, and Xenophilius so that Juniper and Elvendork could catch up with her and she wouldn't get caught socializing with muggle-borns.

Her plan, however, did not go as intended. As she fell back and waited for Juniper and Elvendork to disentangle themselves from Augustus Rockwood, Professor Slughorn called her over. Andromeda let out an annoyed sigh and headed over to her Head of House.

"Yes, professor?" She asked once she was within speaking distance.

"Miss Black, I feel the need to impress upon you that the way you behaved earlier towards Miss Peters earlier was not all right. We do not threaten to hex other students." He reprimanded. "I'm going to have to take ten points from Slytherin."

"All right, professor." Andromeda agreed. "Can I go back to the castle now?"

"Yes, yes." Slughorn said waving her off. "Oh! And don't forget, there's a Slug Club meeting coming up in a few weeks!"

"I wouldn't miss it." Andromeda assured before turning around and heading towards the castle.

* * *

><p>After apparition lessons one day, still no one had managed to apparate and Peter Bakersfield had stood as far away from Ted Tonks as possible, the sixth years all joined the rest of their class mates, third year and above, in Hogsmeade.<p>

Andromeda made her way down alone, Juniper and Elvendork had reconciled with Lieselot and she was once again left being the odd one out in her dormitory. This was better, however, as it meant that Andromeda would not have to make up some excuse to detach herself from them so she could meet up with Ted.

Andromeda kicked around Hogsmeade for a little while, stopping in the Three Broomsticks and Honeydukes, before she made her way off the traditional road where Hogwarts' students loitered and down a path that led to a collection of fields that weren't visible from the main road. Andromeda wondered why the field that stretched on behind the shops and homes in Hogsmeade had gone unused for so long, it seemed the perfect place to build a development of shops.

She hadn't even known that there were fields back there before a week or so ago, she had not explored Hogsmeade very thoroughly. The road was not cobblestone but rather dirt and seemed very unluckily that anyone would ever come back there, which was why it was perfect for two people who couldn't be found out.

Ted seemed to have beaten Andromeda there, surprisingly as Andromeda nine out of times was usually the first person to arrive anywhere due to her obsessive punctuality.

"Hullo." Andromeda greeted. "Quite off the beaten path, this."

"Well I thought going on a date to the Three Broomsticks would be too unoriginal." Ted explained. "Everyone goes on dates there."

"So you're thinking outside the box to impress me then?" Andromeda asked raising her eyebrows.

"Yes." Ted agreed. "It has nothing to do with our blood status in the least."

"Whatever the reason I like different." Andromeda said with a laugh. "The Three Broomsticks is boring. I saw about twenty couples there on the first date. Snooze-fest."

"I'm glad we're in agreement." Ted replied.

"What are we doing then?" Andromeda asked.

"I thought we could eat." Ted answered as this was obvious.

"Got some bread you've buried out here then?" Andromeda asked wryly.

"No, nothing as creative as all that, but we are wizards and our pockets are bigger on the inside." Ted replied reaching into his pocket.

"Well if you're going to be magical about it." Andromeda scoffed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that you wanted to be taken out on a muggle date. I can arrange that easily if you want?" Ted offered.

Andromeda wrinkled her nose.

"Sounds medieval." She remarked.

"You know you have this odd way of making normally racist comments sound pleasant." Ted observed.

"It's one of my skills, I think." Andromeda said. "No one can get upset about it because I don't really meanit. It's like my quirky character trait. Kind of like how you inflict bruises upon everyone unfortunate enough to stand next to you in apparition lessons."

"That's not a regular thing." Ted argued.

"It is! I have bruise across my stomach from where I got close-lined by Charity in the first lesson." Andromeda exclaimed. "It's this disgusting horizontal bruise that still hasn't healed."

"That was Charity." Ted pointed out.

"She only fell because you fell into her." Andromeda argued. "Not to mention the pain you inflicted on poor Bakersfield."

"He still hasn't forgiven me." Ted observed. "He tried to trip me in the hallway the other day."

"Did he try to trip you or did you just trip?" Andromeda asked skeptically.

"You're a very mean date." Ted pouted.

"Oh don't sound so surprised, you knew what you were getting into before you got here." Andromeda said. "It's not as though I've blind-sighted you."

"That's true; you _did _threaten to hex Septima Peters because she wouldn't get in line." Ted remembered. "Who, by the way, is my new patrols partner. She's absolutely terrified of you."

"Well I'm not usually so outright with my threats, but it was very cold. I hate the cold." Andromeda said with a shrug. "I had two pairs of gloves on you know."

'You're not even fazed by the fact that she's terrified of you." Ted commented.

"Lots of people are terrified of me." Andromeda said with a shrug. "Charity was afraid of me when she first met me."

"Now she's not afraid to bet on your love life, how times have changed." Ted observed.

"I think Charity has a gambling problem." Andromeda remarked. "She almost bet me that Hunter Friedrichson wouldn't splinch himself."

"I think it's less that she has a gambling problem and more that she makes poor decisions when gambling." Ted commented. "She also bet that we wouldn't date."

"That could have gone either way." Andromeda pointed out.

"Nah, it couldn't have." Ted replied.

Andromeda raised an eyebrow.

"Someone's suddenly very confident." She remarked. "I think this is what we call hindsight bias."

"Deny it all you want you know it was true." Ted joked. "You fancied me from the moment you met me."

"You're right, I fancied you from the moment I sat next to you on the train and barely even noticed you." Andromeda agreed sarcastically.

"Ouch." Ted said pretending to look wounded. "Fine, maybe not from the moment you saw me but at least from when you saw me in my Quidditch uniform."

Andromeda pursed her lips.

"You can't even deny it!" Ted exclaimed with a laugh. "You know it's true."

"It's not my fault that an uncontrollable attraction to Quidditch players." Andromeda huffed.

A smile broke across Ted's face as though it were Christmas.

"Shut up." Andromeda ordered.

"I'm not saying anything." Ted replied.

"You don't have to. The look on your face speaks volumes." Andromeda remarked.

"Well I can't control whatever you're imagining my face is saying." Ted said. "That's all in your imagination."

"Really?" Andromeda asked.

"I can't help that you're delusional, Andromeda." Ted said with a pitiful shake of his head.

Andromeda glared.

"I will hex you." She warned.

"I think you might get a detention for that." Ted remarked. "Pureblood hexes muggle-born. Doesn't read very well does it?"

"It's always about blood status with you." Andromeda commented. "Which is ironic when you think about the fact that I'm meant to be the one obsessed with it."

"I just wanted to remind you why hexing me may not be the best decision." Ted said.

"Who said I'd actually hex you? I was only threatening you anyhow." Andromeda stated.

"That doesn't work because I'm not scared of you like Septima Peters is." Ted pointed out. "In fact I've never been scared of you, that's why your threats and glares don't work on me."

"It's a serious problem." Andromeda agreed. "Hopefully your rounds with Septima will help."

"It's perfectly normal to want your boyfriend to be scared of you." Ted said with a laugh. "Definition of a healthy relationship, that."

"I've always thought so." Andromeda agreed.

"Speaking of rounds," Ted began, "who are you with this time? Rockwood or Dearborn?"

"Dearborn. I don't have Rockwood till the last few months." Andromeda answered. "I'm not looking forward to those rounds at all. His birthday isn't until July so he's going to be complaining about the Knights every night."

"Sounds like a ball." Ted remarked wrinkling his nose. "How's Dearborn?"

"Silent." Andromeda answered. "I don't think he likes me much."

"I wouldn't think he would." Ted replied. "Dearborn is very pro-muggleborn."

"Unbeknownst to him, so am I." Andromeda commented.

"Are you?" Ted asked, mock-surprised.

"No, not at all." Andromeda lied. "I'd certainly never date one."

"A horrifying thought." Ted agreed. "Imagine having to kiss one."

"I never!" Andromeda exclaimed wrinkling her nose in fake disgust. "You shouldn't even joke about that."

"That's all right though because I'd never kiss a pureblood either." Ted commented.

"Godric, no." Andromeda agreed. "Just consider the years of inbreeding."

Ted pretended to shudder.

"It makes me sick just thinking about it." He remarked.

Andromeda laughed and leaned forward. Their lips met and the food that Ted had procured from his pockets was forgotten. Andromeda, awkwardly leaning over the food that sat between leaned forward more effectively pushing Ted onto the ground and slamming her knee into the sandwiches that had been innocently minding their own business waiting to be eaten.

Andromeda's arms were resting on either side of Ted's head, where they had fallen in their sudden impact against the ground. Ted's hands, ungloved as he hadn't thought it too cold that morning, were resting lightly against Andromeda's lower back, brushing lightly underneath the hem of her coat. Suddenly, Ted flipped them so that Andromeda was pressed against the ground, dark hair fanned out against the melting snow; her winter hat lay forgotten along the side.

Ted's leg knocked over the rest of the food as he rolled them around but neither heard the slight clatter. All previous thoughts had been abandoned. Andromeda's hands, now allowed numberless possibilities at her new position worked their way into Ted's shaggy blonde hair. Ted, on the other hand, was working down the zipper on Andromeda's coat which suddenly seemed entirely unnecessary.

Their efforts were interrupted, suddenly, by a low whistle from a little ways away. Ted shot up with a start, landing next to Andromeda who pulled herself into a sitting position shakily, squinting to see who had whistled, a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. To both Ted and Andromeda's relief, Hestia Jones stood, fingers in mouth and coat unzipped, staring at them with a look of amusement. Charity, who was just behind her, had the decency to look embarrassed.

"Wotcher!" Hestia greeted.

"Hestia Jones, you're a menace to society." Andromeda called, anxiety briefly forgotten, as Hestia loped her way over.

"Thanks, I try." She said with a wink. "It seems you on the other hand Andromeda Black, are a menace to Ted Tonk's virtue. And sandwiches everywhere."

Hestia made a tsking sound as Ted and Andromeda looked in confusion at the remnants of what had been there lunch, mustard was smeared across Andromeda's knee.

"That's not what sandwiches are for." She said with a shake of her head. "Those poor sandwiches, so innocent, so young. And you lot befouled them. They will never be whole again."

"Bugger off Hestia." Ted said, slightly cross.

"I'd love to, really." Hestia began placing her hands in her coat pocket. "But you see, it's about time to head back to Hogwarts and I thought it'd be the decent thing to tell you two as I assumed you'd be otherwise occupied. Evidently, I was right."

"We'll be up in a bit." He said with a roll of his eyes.

"I'd love to believe that, but I have no confidence that Andromeda won't go back to trying to steal your virtue and then you won't get anywhere." Hestia commented. "Then the professors will have to come looking for you and McGonagall will happen upon a scene that will result in instant expulsion for both of you. I'm helping you really."

"I'm sorry about her." Charity interjected, still looking relatively embarrassed. "She knows no shame."

"It's a gift and a curse." Hestia agreed. "Now, are you two going to continue to sit there covered in mustard and leaves or what?"

Ted grumbled something to himself as he stood up, vanishing the food before turning to Andromeda and offering her a hand up. Andromeda, no longer picking up heat from Ted, shivered and went about zipping her jacket back up before turning around and collecting her hat off the ground where it had fallen.

They headed off down the path that led back to the main streets of Hogsmeade in a sort of awkward silence as Hestia would glance over her shoulder occasionally as if to be sure there was no funny business. Andromeda dusted her hat off, it had collected a fair share of leaves as it had sat forgotten on the ground, she was about to place it back on her head when Ted stopped her.

"You have a leaf in your hair." He said, slightly pink, as he pulled said leaf out before placing the hat on her head for her.

Andromeda, perhaps from the awkwardness of being caught, let out a sharp laugh.

As they made their way back to the castle chatting occasionally Andromeda couldn't help but note to herself that she had certainly never kissed Walden or anyone like that before. Perhaps that was something to this whole snogging thing after all.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

It was not until the fifth or sixth apparition lesson that someone managed to successfully apparate. The person in question was Septima Peters, Ravenclaw prefect and famous know-it-all. She spent most days of her life in the library and she was practically a shoe-in for the Head Girl, she was the typical Ravenclaw and top of the class. It was no surprise that she was the first to apparate.

Everyone in the Great Hall however, it was raining that day, seemed to stare at the hoop which now held Septima Peters and the place she had been previously standing with a look of wonder in their faces. Septima, the smug person that she was, stood in her hoop beaming at her peers as they peppered her with questions.

Things had just gotten very personal.

Andromeda Black, who did not like Septima Peters one bit, glared at the group of people who seemed to surround her, squealing in excitement. Her resolve to apparate doubled as Septima sent her a sly, smug smile.

"I hate Septima Peters." Andromeda declared.

"Me too. She's a smug bitch." Elvendork agreed surprising Andromeda.

"I thought you and Lieselot were best friends again?" Andromeda asked in confusion.

"I like you better." Elvendork remarked. "Like I said before, Lieselot's a bitch. I'm trying to get Juniper out from under her."

"Oh. Thanks." Andromeda said awkwardly, confused by the turn of events. "Although if you could cut down on the swearing a bit, that'd be nice."

"You purebloods and your innocent ears." Elvendork replied with a roll of her eyes. "Fine, no more swearing."

Andromeda nodded her thanks and went back to glaring at Septima Peters whose crowd of impressed students was beginning to die down. Goshawk sent everyone back to their spots and congratulated Septima on a job well done before ordering them to try and apparate again. She counted down and once she hit three Andromeda focused all her attention on the hoop and turned on the spot, she would not let Septima Peters show her up again.

A nauseating squeezing sensation came over Andromeda, one she was familiar with from side-along apparating and suddenly she found herself standing in her hoop, completely intact. She scanned the row of students and located Septima, who had not been successful in apparating this time and was instead picking herself up from the floor. She smirked at Septima challengingly as Ted let out a low, appreciative whistle.

The game was afoot.

The next few rounds of practice resulted in Andromeda and Septima both getting varying results on their apparition attempts. At one point they both ended up in their hoops and glared at each other so viciously that the few other people who had managed to make their ways into their hoops felt uncomfortable for interrupting them. It seemed Septima had not forgotten or forgiven Andromeda's threat from the first lesson.

During one of the last rounds before the lesson was over for the day and Andromeda was in the lead for apparating successfully the most times, Ted Tonks managed to apparate into his hoop that lay in between the row of hoops separating Andromeda and Septima. Everyone else between the two had given up even trying to apparate, afraid they would interrupt the growing competition between them, but Ted who had been too busy trying to stay upright for more than five seconds had failed to notice.

As it was, Ted successfully apparated into his hoop between Septima and Andromeda, who were already shooting each other dirty looks, and remained upright for all of five seconds before, being disoriented by his sudden new surroundings, turned in surprise and tumbled towards the ground smacking his arm into the hoop next to him. The hoop flipped into the air and flew towards Septima Peter, who too distracted by her glaring match with Andromeda, failed to notice the projectile heading her way before it was too late.

Andromeda let out a huge unladylike cackle as she dissolved into a fit of giggles over Septima lying on the floor, hoop pressed against her stomach. Ted began apologizing profusely as Septima picked herself up, glaring at Andromeda as though it were her fault.

"Well." Bathsheba Goshawk remarked. "I think that's enough for today."

Andromeda disregarded this comment as she tried to regain air into her lungs unsuccessfully. She choked on her own spit from laughing so hard and her laughter soon turned into a spluttering of coughing and soundless chortling.

"Can't. Breathe." She choked out between silent laughs.

Septima Peters high-tailed it out of the Great Hall with one last fleeting glare at Andromeda, who even in her laughter tried to hold up the number of times she had successfully apparated when Septima had not, though between her shaky laughs she could not remember which. Charity Burbage, who had apparated once that morning, was standing next to Xenophilius with an amused look on her face as Ted picked himself off the floor.

"Ted, you're a danger to everyone you come in contact with." Charity remarked not unkindly. "They should really give you private lessons."

"Do you think Septima's all right?" Ted asked worriedly. "I don't want her to hate me. It was an accident."

"I saw Peter Bakersfield making 'I Hate Ted Tonks' buttons the other day. He's trying to start a club." Xenophilius commented helpfully. "I imagine Septima will like to join. They're both Ravenclaws so she already knows about it."

"Wait. Are you serious?" Ted asked unsurely.

Xenophilius stared at him as impassively as ever, providing no answer as to whether he was joking or not.

"Miss Black, I'm going to need you to vacate the hoop please." Bathsheba Goshawk said to Andromeda whose laughter had doubled with one look at Xenophilius. "Miss Black."

"Andromeda." Elvendork said sharply coming over. "You're causing a scene."

"I can't stop." Andromeda choked out. "Best day of my life."

Elvendork let out a snicker that she had been trying to hold on as she forced Andromeda out of the hoop.

"Did you _see _the look on her face?" Andromeda continued. "Priceless."

"It was." Elvendork agreed with a laugh. "Come along Andromeda, dear, let's go get you a calming potion."

Elvendork escorted a still laughing Andromeda out of the Great Hall the occasional snicker escaping from her lips as the memory of Septima Peters' astonished face as the hoop collided with her abdomen replied over and over again in her mind.

* * *

><p>Patrols tended to be eerily silent. An awkwardness tended to hang in the air that begged to be broken, but never was. Even in the early days of patrolling with Ted it had not been so silent. Their footsteps seemed to echo as they walked down the hall and she could almost hear the shallow breathing of her partner as they walked.<p>

Caradoc Dearborn was not one for talking. It was not just his opinion on who he assumed Andromeda was that made him so silent, it was who he was. Caradoc was a stoic Ravenclaw who very rarely said more than three words in sequence of each other. Always Caradoc, never Cary or Doc, he had about three friends who had ever heard him say full sentences in succession. He was serious, quiet, and intimidating. Once a girl had bet her friend that she could get more than a two words out of Caradoc and he hold told her without a blink of an eye 'You lose.' They'd been dating since.

There was no way, of course, for Andromeda to know all of this. All she knew was that Caradoc seemed to be freezing her out and that the deafening silence was driving her insane.

"So," she began one particularly quiet evening where she was sure she could hear the rain from outside, "do you like your classes so far?"

"They're fine." Caradoc answered at once, not even turning to glance at Andromeda.

"Which one do you like best?" Andromeda asked hopefully.

"CoMC." Caradoc said.

"Really?" Andromeda replied surprised. "What do you like about it?"

"Professor Kettleburn." Caradoc answered.

"Oh." Andromeda remarked.

Just as she was ready to give up and spend the rest of her patrols for the foreseeable future in painstaking silence, Caradoc seemed to take pity on her.

"You?" He asked.

"What?" Andromeda replied confused.

"Favorite class?" Caradoc elaborated.

"Oh. I like all of them. I'm pretty fond of Charms and Potions though." Andromeda answered. "I'm taking everything but Muggle Studies and Divination."

"Impressive." Caradoc remarked, for the first time emotion showing on his face.

"You don't talk much do you?" Andromeda inquired, finally understanding.

"Waste." Caradoc explained.

"I can see where that can be true." Andromeda agreed. "A lot of what we say is unnecessary."

Caradoc nodded his agreement.

"Ted Tonks had convinced me that the reason you were so silent was because I was a Black." Andromeda remarked.

Caradoc shrugged noncommittally before looking at her in surprised. Andromeda silently cursed her mistake.

"Ted Tonks?" He asked in surprise.

"Yes." Andromeda said hesitantly.

"You friends?" Caradoc inquired a hint of interest in his voice.

"Something like that." Andromeda agreed.

"Dating." Caradoc decided. "Opposites attract."

"You're annoyingly perceptive." Andromeda commented. "We're not _that _opposite."

"Muggle-born and Black." Caradoc pointed out.

"Well, yes." Andromeda agreed.

"Talks non-stop." Caradoc continued to Andromeda's outrage.

"I do not." Andromeda exclaimed offended.

"Not you." Caradoc assured with a roll of his eyes. "My girlfriend."

"Oh. Your girlfriend?" Andromeda said understanding. "I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

"Miranda Bones." Caradoc informed her. "Hufflepuff."

"I've met her." Andromeda remarked. "Sort of."

Caradoc raised an eyebrow.

"It's complicated." Andromeda said. "She's very…loud."

"Yes." Caradoc agreed.

They fell into a silence once more but it seemed less piercing somehow. Now that Andromeda knew why Caradoc was so silent it seemed less like an offense to her. She decided that she liked Caradoc, strange silent being that he was. He was a refreshing change from the rest of the school who seemed to speak in a never-ending stream of opinions. It was odd to find such a stoic person in such a loud school, almost unnerving, and Andromeda wondered what kind of thoughts went on in his head.

Andromeda spent the rest of patrols trying to puzzle out what it was that Caradoc Dearborn could be thinking about. Did he think in the same two word fragments that he graced the rest of the world with or was it a never ending stream of consciousness? Was his silent exterior a mask for a colorful menagerie of thoughts that overtook his very being? For the first time ever Andromeda wondered what it would be like to be anyone but her. How different and possibly easier life could have been.

By the end of patrols Andromeda was unsure if she would enjoy the rest of her patrols with quiet Caradoc or slowly go insane. Being silent might work for him, but she was the sort of person who needed to vocalize her thoughts. It would certainly be an interesting next few months.

* * *

><p>She was given a reprieve from more silent and introspective patrols with Caradoc by Travers who still owed her three patrol days. She'd come up to him earlier in the day after Charms and told him that she didn't feel like going to her patrol that evening and he'd have to cover it, and it had been simple as that. This allowed her a free evening to go on a date with Ted that wouldn't get interrupted by Hestia Jones.<p>

Andromeda made her way to the fourth floor between prefect patrols, doing her best to not be seen. She followed Ted's slightly poor instructions, take a left at the wibbly portrait then a right when you hit that one rusty statue, and found herself in front of one of the bathrooms. Thinking she had somehow misidentified the wibbly portrait Andromeda went to turn around just as Ted stuck his head out of the portrait.

"Where are you going?" He asked causing her to whip around.

"I didn't think you'd lead me to a bathroom." Andromeda remarked looking the room over. "How lovely."

"It's what's in the bathroom that we're after." Ted clarified.

"Oh, urinals, how romantic." Andromeda bit. "I think I might swoon."

"You don't like urinals?" Ted asked in surprised. "Well, my sources were wrong."

Andromeda looked at him unamused.

"We're not staying here." Ted said.

"I'd hope not." Andromeda replied. "That sink doesn't even work."

Ted looked at the sink that she was pointing to and raised an eyebrow.

"How can you even _tell_?" He asked slightly impressed.

Andromeda shrugged.

"Where are we going anyways? Since this bathroom is obviously not it."

"Right." Ted said shaking his head and forgetting about the broken sink. "Hogsmeade."

"I don't want to insult your intelligence Ted dear, but this isn't exactly Hogsmeade." Andromeda stated wryly.

"Why am I even dating you? You're horrible." Ted asked with a shake of his head. "I know this isn't Hogsmeade."

"That's comforting." Andromeda said.

"But there _is _a way to get into Hogsmeade from here." Ted continued making his way to the row of sinks.

"Does it also lead to a dilapidated bathroom?" Andromeda asked.

"Yes. I thought to myself 'I bet Andromeda loves dilapidated bathrooms, I'll take her on a tour of some of the best ones this side of Scotland and it will be the best date'." Ted said sarcastically. "Will you shut up for five minutes and at least pretend to be impressed with my cleverness?"

"Fine." Andromeda said reluctantly.

"Thank you."

Andromeda watched with an eyebrow raised as Ted seemed to fumble about with one of the mirrors that sat above the sinks screwed to the wall. She was about to voice her confusion at his futile attempts to remove the mirror when it suddenly swung from the wall revealing a passageway behind it. Ted turned to her a triumphant look on his face.

"Okay. I'm impressed." Andromeda admitted.

"Thank you. You have to crawl for the first few feet but it widens out after the drop and we should be able to walk." Ted explained.

"Where does it come out?" Andromeda inquired.

"The backroom of Madame Puddifoot's." Ted said with a grimace. "There's a door off of it though so it's not that hard to get out of.

"I know you just want to trick me into going to Madame Puddifoot's with you." Andromeda remarked.

"Obviously." Ted agreed. "It's my favorite place in all of Hogsmeade."

"I knew it." Andromeda said smugly. "Who's going first then?"

"Ladies first." Ted offered moving to help Andromeda climb into the passageway.

"I'd be impressed with your chivalry if I wasn't suspicious that it's just an excuse to stare at my arse." Andromeda remarked wryly.

"Well yeah." Ted said as if it were obvious. "Yep, good choice."

Andromeda rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile as Ted climbed into the passage and closed the mirror. Andromeda blinked in the dark for a few seconds before she heard Ted whisper 'lumos' and the tunnel was lit up again.

"Where's this drop exactly?" Andromeda asked as she crawled along.

"A bit ahead. It's more a bit of a hill than a drop." Ted answered squinting ahead.

"How far is 'a bit'?" Andromeda inquired. "Your directions are-."

She never finished her sentence as the drop that Ted mentioned presented itself and Andromeda went rolling down the steep hill her 'horrible' turning into one elongated scream. It wasn't long until Ted came following after her, crashing into her.

"Spot on? I know." Ted finished pulling himself up before helping Andromeda up.

"Horrible. I was going to go with horrible." Andromeda huffed.

"Same thing." Ted said with a shrug. "Come along then, it's not far from here."

"Am I going to walk into a door if I follow you?" Andromeda asked crossly. "Your judgment of not far and a bit are being called into question."

"It was just a little tumble, Dromeda." Ted said. "I have them all the time."

"Trust me, I know." Andromeda remarked. "Speaking of, has Septima Peters joined the "I Hate Ted Tonks" club yet?"

"Is that an actual thing?" Ted asked sounding slightly worried. "Have you been hearing about that too?"

"I'm the vice president." Andromeda said solemnly. "We're making shirts."

"Very funny." Ted replied. "I think you've confused the words love and hate again, Dromeda. We really need to work on that."

"Four letter words are just too much for me." Andromeda complained. "Love, hate, aren't they basically the same thing? Why is English so hard?"

"It's okay, we'll get there." Ted assured patting Andromeda on the shoulder.

"Je preférè français." Andromeda remarked. "Je déteste Ted Tonks, comprendre?"

"Did you just speak French to me?" Ted asked looking fairly confused.

"Oui, je suis pureblood. Nous sommes bilingues." Andromeda answered with a shrug.

"Now you're just showing off." Ted pointed out.

"Oui." Andromeda agreed with a smirk.

"English, por favor." Ted said.

"That's Spanish." Andromeda pointed out. "It's s'il vous plait in French."

"You're such a know-it-all." Ted remarked.

Andromeda gasped in outrage.

"I am not." She pouted. "Take that back."

"Oh, I'm sorry; did you not just talk in French?" Ted teased.

Andromeda opened her mouth to retort but just as she was forming words Ted walked into the dirt wall that signaled the end of the passageway.

"Serves you right." Andromeda declared with a laugh.

"I guess we're here." Ted observed. "Up we go."

In a few seconds they were standing in the backroom of Madame Puddifoot's, surrounded by boxes and boxes of tea. Ted quickly led them further into the room towards the back of the building where a back door sat relatively unused. They exited into the back alley and made their way towards High Street.

"Where to then?" Andromeda asked once they'd put some distance between them and Madame Puddifoot's.

"The Hog's Head." Ted answered.

"Classy." Andromeda commented.

"Well I figured that even when Hogsmeade isn't full of our peers going to The Three Broomsticks wouldn't be the smartest idea." Ted pointed out.

"Who said you could be sensible?" Andromeda teased.

"Well _one _of us ought to be." Ted remarked.

Andromeda raised her eyebrows.

"All right." Ted declared as they entered The Hog's Head. "I have a proposition for you."

"Sounds terrifying." Andromeda remarked.

"I propose we go the rest of the night without being awful to each other. No teasing, no sarcasm, no insulting, no French." Ted continued ignoring Andromeda. "You have to be nice."

"I don't think talking French counts as being rude." Andromeda pointed out.

"It does when you speak French." Ted replied.

"What do I get if I manage to go the whole night without being insolent?" Andromeda inquired.

"The knowledge that you aren't a horrible person?" Ted suggested.

"Says the boy who just insulted me." Andromeda observed.

"I have to get as many out as I can." Ted explained.

"Fine." Andromeda agreed. "I won't be sarcastic for the rest of the night."

"Think you can do it?" Ted asked eyebrow raised.

"I'm sure I'll manage." Andromeda replied.

They sat down at one of the less than cleanly tables and ordered a butterbeer from the owner who Andromeda thought looked incredibly shifty with his wiry grey hair and dirty glasses. She could have sworn she heard a goat bleating on the other end of the bar and wondered vaguely if that was sanitary. When the butterbeer arrived Andromeda noted that a thin film of dirt seemed to have settled in the bottom of her's. She opened her mouth to say something as Ted raised an eyebrow challengingly. She swallowed her remark.

"So…" She began trying to avoid any sarcastic comments. "How are your classes?"

"They're all right." Ted said with a laugh. "How are yours?"

"Fine." Andromeda answered. "I don't know why my first question to people is always how their classes are."

"You mean you're interested in how other people's classes are besides mine?" Ted asked with a pout.

"I think that counts as teasing." Andromeda pointed out. "I thought that wasn't allowed."

"I don't think so." Ted replied. "I made up the rules and I'm going with no."

"That just sounds like an abuse of power." Andromeda observed.

"Don't be a sore loser, Dromeda." Ted admonished with a shake of his head.

"Fine." Andromeda allowed. "Anyways I said the same thing to Caradoc the other day. I guess it's my go to question."

"How are things with ole Caradoc?" Ted inquired. "Still not talking to you?"

"Actually we had a very lovely conversation last rounds." Andromeda said as Ted raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "I accidentally told him we were dating."

"How do you accidentally tell someone that?" Ted asked.

"Well I actually only mentioned you in conversation and he decided we were dating." Andromeda explained.

"Caradoc is surprisingly perceptive." Ted remarked. "It must be because he doesn't waste his time talking."

"Then he told me how his girlfriend never shuts up." Andromeda continued.

"Oh yeah, Miranda. She's in Hufflepuff. We have this problem where none of us can close our mouths." Ted agreed.

"I've noticed that." Andromeda remarked. "Anyways I met Miranda once, sort of."

"Did you?" Ted asked surprised.

"Well, I heard her talking I didn't actually meet her, per say." Andromeda corrected. "The other day when I spent the night in the Hufflepuff girls' dorm. She was very loud."

"She is that." Ted agreed. "The story of how she and Caradoc started going out is brilliant actually. She pretended to have a bet with her friend to try and get him to talk to her and when he told her she lost she suggested he let her try again in Hogsmeade."

"Clever. All I do is drunkenly kiss the boys I like." Andromeda commented. "I guess Miranda is classier than me."

"Whatever works." Ted said with a shrug. "Personally I think the drunkenly kissing makes for a funnier story."

"Stinks for you though." Andromeda observed.

"Getting kissed wasn't that horrible, actually." Ted remarked. "I didn't really mind it that much."

"That's always good to know." Andromeda said. "What I meant, though, was that we got together after my birthday so that's double presents for me every year."

"I'll just do bundle gifts like people do for Christmas birthdays." Ted said with a shrug.

"That's not very nice." Andromeda pouted.

"Who said we would last a year anyways? We could very well break up tomorrow." Ted joked.

"I did. Just now. I don't know how you missed it considering you were right here." Andromeda commented. "My word is basically law so I guess that's that. It seems you're stuck with me for at least a year."

"You're just in it for the double presents." Ted joked.

"I am. You're right." Andromeda agreed with a laugh. "Okay, is your glass nearly as filthy as mine or am I just lucky?"

Ted seemed to glance down at his glass as if assessing it for the first time. He gave it a swirl and a look of disgust passed over his face as a layer of dirt mixed itself into his butterbeer.

"That answers that question then." Andromeda remarked.

"Not exactly the classiest place." Ted observed. "Sorry about that."

"It's all right. At least it's interesting." Andromeda assured with a laugh. "Plus no one would expect us to be here."

"Are you going to finish it?" Ted asked glancing at the mug that sat in front of Andromeda.

Andromeda seemed to look at the mug of butterbeer for a few seconds assessing the amount of dirt that had settled in the bottom.

"Yes." She decided picking up the drink. "Cheers."

"I'm impressed." Ted remarked. "I guess I'll finish mine too then."

"At least if we both get sick from them we'll end up in the Hospital Wing together." Andromeda pointed out with a shrug. "Hardly anyone goes in there so that's just free time for us."

"I love the way you look on the bright side of getting violently ill." Ted commented with a laugh.

"It's my ever-present optimism winning out." Andromeda drawled.

"I think that counts as sarcasm." Ted observed.

"I think that might have been an unrealistic expectation." Andromeda remarked.

"You tried, that's all that matters." Ted said patting her hand.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure that you broke the rules a long time ago." Andromeda continued.

"Are you calling me a cheater?" Ted asked looking aghast.

"Well you _did_ play the 'I make up the rules of this game' card. That's evidence right there that you're a cheater." Andromeda pointed out.

"I can't believe you think so ill of me." Ted gasped.

"Really? You can't believe that?" Andromeda asked in disbelief.

"I guess it isn't that unrealistic." Ted allowed with a laugh. "All right, are you done with your drink? I've hit the layer of filth."

"Yes. Definitely done." Andromeda agreed glancing at her drink. "Where to now?"

Ted glanced at his watch as they made their way out of the door, a frown sliding over his features.

"It's actually getting pretty late." He said. "We should probably head back."

"I don't want to go back though. I like being out on a date with you." Andromeda pouted.

"Stop trying to flatter me into doing what you want." Ted said smiling at her.

"I'm offended you'd think I would resort to such tactics." Andromeda remarked.

"No you're not." Ted disagreed.

"No. I'm not." Andromeda agreed with a laugh.

"Nowhere is going to be open." Ted pointed out. "It's pretty late _and _it's going to get cold soon."

"Are you trying to get me to end our date by threatening me with the cold?" Andromeda asked with a raised eyebrow. "I must be a really good influence on you."

"Why are you proud of that?" Ted asked.

"It's the little things, Edward." Andromeda answered with a laugh.

"Come along, Dromeda." Ted ordered grabbing Andromeda's hand.

"Fine. Ruin my night." Andromeda complained.

"I don't think I can ruin your night if I was the cause of most of it." Ted pointed out.

"Someone's got a lot of self-confidence." Andromeda observed.

"I find it's important to think highly of oneself." Ted joked.

Andromeda let out a laugh.

"Are you sure you're not a pureblood?" She asked. "You do a very good impersonation."

"Stop trying to distract me with compliments." Ted ordered with a laugh. "This would be much easier if Dearborn had rubbed off on you."

"I'd still be just as cute even if I was quiet." Andromeda pointed out pouting up at Ted.

"Come on." Ted repeated placing a hand over Andromeda's face. "It really is getting late."

"Fine." Andromeda announced reluctantly. "You win. Back to Hogwarts."

* * *

><p>Charity Burbage made her way through the hallways of Hogwarts as quietly as possible. She had been hanging out with Hestia in the Ravenclaw tower and while Hestia often insisted on Charity staying the night Charity always felt uncomfortable and judged by the other Ravenclaws she would often come in contact with. She was always much happier waking up in her own bed in the Hufflepuff dorms. It was thus that Charity was often sneaking back after curfew and she thought she had gotten quite good at it.<p>

She was comforted by the fact that she knew it was Andromeda's night to patrol and if she did get caught she could probably manage to get out of detention or losing any house points, as long as Andromeda wasn't patrolling with one of the less friendly prefects. She thought she had heard Ted mention that Andromeda's new patrol partner was Caradoc though and she and Caradoc got on well enough so she wasn't too concerned, his girlfriend was her dorm mate after all.

She made her way through the dark abandoned halls, occasionally peering around corners to be sure that no one was there. Hestia often complained that it was unsafe for Charity to go wandering about the castle alone after hours, Hestia was annoyingly sensible, but Charity tended to shrug her off. The first few times she had made the journey she had been nervous, though unable to admit it as she didn't want Hestia to worry unnecessarily, but after a year of making the trip she felt no different than wandering through the halls between classes.

It was nicer when they were empty anyhow.

She began to get less cautious as she went and this was a mistake on her part. As she reached the second floor she felt confident in her ability not to get caught and she stopped checking to make sure no one was hiding around the corners or listening for upcoming footsteps.

This was her downfall.

Just as she was making her way on the first floor, almost home free, Charity felt a hand grasp her arm and wrench her to the ground.

"What-?" She managed before her world became a confused haze of pain and cackling.

The pain, unbearable as it was, blinded her senses for a few seconds. There was nothing but pain for what seemed like ages, for the first time in Charity's life she wished she was dead, if only not to have to feel this excruciating, mind-numbing pain anymore. In reality it lasted only a few minutes, but to Charity it was a life time.

As the pain subsided, as suddenly as it had arrived, Charity became dully aware of the world around her again. She could feel the cold hard floor beneath her and make out the figures of a group of boys around her age, though picking out discernible features seemed nearly impossible as her nociceptors began to settle.

Through the haze Charity recognized the sound of yelling and what sounded like a scuffle. In the back of her brain, where thought seemed to be forming once more as the pressure decreased, she wondered what exactly what was going on.

Suddenly there was a face over her's that she thought she recognized, though she was too tired to place it. Dark brown hair and concerned blue eyes stood out to her and it was the first time she thought she may have ever seen concern etched on the person's face.

"Are you all right?" The person asked voice distorted seeming to float towards her in waves.

Charity realized in a sense of ludicrous pride that it was the most words she had ever heard Caradoc Dearborn, for she realized that was who it was, say.

Then the world went black.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Charity Burbage woke up to artificial lighting and the smell of extreme cleanliness. Concerned faces swam into her vision almost at once, before she had even figured out where she was, and a barrage of questions began to be fired at her by a very concerned looking Hestia.

"What happened?" Was the only question that made it through as Charity rubbed sleep from her eyes.

"I'unno." Charity mumbled sitting up.

At the movement Madame Renfield rushed over and pushed Hestia and Ted, who had also been firing questions at alarming speed, out of the way. She began to talk listing injuries, asking if Charity was all right, talking about when she'd get to leave. Charity followed none of this. Finally, Madame Renfield's speech came to a close and Charity was able to breath. Everyone looked at her expectantly. Caradoc Dearborn wandered into view. Charity was flummoxed.

"Miss Burbage if you could tell us in your own words what happened." Madame Renfield prompted and Charity imagined she probably had already asked once.

"I…I don't know. I was on my way back from the, uh, Ravenclaw common room and I got careless because I was almost back and then I just got attacked-." Charity attempted to explain, trying to make sense of her muddled thoughts.

"I _told _you it was too dangerous to wander the halls alone!" Hestia interrupted.

"Miss Jones." Madame Renfield scolded. "Let Miss Burbage talk please."

Hestia grumbled to herself and Charity couldn't help but smile as she caught a few choice words about Madame Renfield.

"That's really all I remember. I was attacked by a couple of Slytherins, and then there was some fighting and I blacked out." Charity said with a shrug. "Oh! _And _I heard Caradoc say a full sentence! Take that, Ted!"

The amount of exuberance Charity displayed at her last sentence took Madame Renfield aback slightly, as she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Ted, on the other side of Charity's bed let out a whine of 'Not fair' as Caradoc raised a bemused eyebrow. Charity had forgotten he was there.

"But yes. That's all I remember." Charity added sheepishly.

"Well, I'm going to have you on bed rest for the rest of the day." Madame Renfield said and Charity nodded. "I'll be back to check on you in a bit. Mr. Dearborn, if I could have your full report now."

Madame Renfield and Caradoc headed into her office when Charity imagined that he'd tell her exactly what happened in two sentence fragments, she had to keep herself from letting out a giggle. Her amusement at the idea soon dissipated as she was met with the concerned looks of Hestia and Ted. Hestia looked slightly cross.

"Where are the others?" Charity asked once they were alone, in an effort to keep from being scolded.

"Xenophilius went to go check for liesleptods in the bed pans." Ted answered with a shrug. "No idea what they are but he seemed very excited."

"And Arthur and Molly are sorting out some Prefect things." Hestia added. "They were in for a bit but there's been a lot of issues going down about Prefects. Andromeda's getting third degree about where she was and why she left Travers with Caradoc."

"Travers knew that the other wannabe Knights members were on the prowl so he stalled Caradoc." Ted explained. "Andromeda's being held liable for part of it because they think she knew that he was involved and still let him go on patrol without first telling them that she was unable. Prefect replacement protocol about missing rounds is kind of dodgy though so she'll probably get off fine."

"Where was Andromeda?" Charity inquired.

"With me." Ted said sheepishly. "We went to Hogsmeade and when we got back we ran into Arthur who said you'd been attacked-."

"But Arthur hadn't been able to get into the Ravenclaw Common Room to tell me because he was too frazzled to answer the riddle, so he told Andromeda where it was and she told me." Hestia interrupted. "I was really confused why Andromeda was waking me up at one in the morning; I thought maybe she had gotten sick of Ted-."

"Oi!" Ted exclaimed. "You _have _a girlfriend."

"I would have turned her down." Hestia said with a roll of her eyes. "How are you though, Charity?"

"I've been better." Charity answered with a laugh. "Have they caught them yet?"

"No." Hestia said her expression growing dark. "Caradoc only saw a few of them and they've been given detentions and possible suspension pending on what more is found out, but a lot of them got away."

"Caradoc took two of them out. Even with Travers trying to obstruct him. They were out, cold." Ted remarked sounding impressed. "That guy is a _machine_."

"Got a crush there, Ted?" Charity joked.

"No." Ted scoffed. "I do think he needs a badass nickname though. Caradoc isn't tough guy enough."

"And I'm sure you'll come up with one." Hestia replied.

"I'm the king of nicknames." Ted said confidently.

Hestia and Charity rolled their eyes, an act that Charity instantly regretted as her head began to swim. She let out a light groan and Hestia turned to her, concern doubled. Charity smiled weakly. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>"Did you or did you not know that Roger Travers was a member of the Knights of Walpurgis?" Molly Prewett repeated for what was possibly the tenth time.<p>

Andromeda did not budge. She was not a rat, and even if he was kind of a horrible person there were worse people who she wouldn't tell on either, she wouldn't see Travers out even if it meant a week of detentions.

"Andromeda we know you've been to a Knights meeting, so you _have _to know." Arthur commented rubbing his temples.

Andromeda shrugged noncommittally. Just as Molly opened her mouth to try again a knock came upon the door and Ted Tonks poked his head into the tiny Head Office where his three friends were seated.

"Charity's woken up." He informed them with a smile.

"What'd she say?" Molly asked concern etched on her face.

"Not much, she doesn't remember too much of it." Ted answered. "How's it going in here?"

Arthur ran a hand down his face and let out a groan in answer.

"Not very productive, I'm afraid." He said. "You're girlfriend's being difficult."

Ted turned to Andromeda in confusion, stepping completely into the room and closing the door.

"What's there to be difficult about?" He asked.

"She won't say if he's in the Knights or not. Even though we _know _she knows." Molly explained. "We've been at it for ten minutes now."

"I've already explained to you where I was which is what I was told was _all _this meeting would be about." Andromeda replied coolly. "I don't know what else you could possibly want from me."

Molly stared at her dumbfounded.

"I'm going to go visit Charity." Molly announced with a huff of annoyance. "We can continue this later."

"There's nothing to continue." Andromeda pointed out.

"I'll join you." Arthur declared getting up as well. "Thanks for letting us know Ted."

"Yeah, no problem." Ted said waving them off before turning back to Andromeda. "What's going on then?"

"Nothing." Andromeda said with a shrug.

"Come on 'Dromeda, it's me." Ted prodded.

"Congratulations?" Andromeda offered sarcastically. "I don't have anything else to say."

"Fine." Ted replied dropping the subject. "Are you going to visit Charity?"

"I can't." Andromeda answered.

"So, you're going to protect someone who's _not _your friend and is obviously a part of a group that wants to kill people like, I don't know, your boyfriend, but you're unwilling to go visit your _friend _in the Hospital Wing?" Ted clarified crossly.

"It's more complicated than that." Andromeda grumbled.

"Isn't it just?" Ted agreed sarcastically.

"You don't get it." Andromeda defended.

"Probably because it doesn't make sense." Ted pointed out.

"I don't want to fight about this." Andromeda said.

"I didn't think this would be something we'd have to fight about at this point." Ted replied. "But then, you can't always get what you want."

"I _can't _visit Charity." Andromeda attempted to explain. "It'd end badly for both of us."

"That bit I get." Ted allowed. "Protecting Travers though-."

"It's complicated!" Andromeda exclaimed. "I may not agree with him but he's a fairly nice person when he's not being racist and it's my whole _society. _Ratting out one is like ratting out them all. It's like ratting out Bella-."

"Who used the Cruciatus curse on you." Ted added helpfully.

"_Once_." Andromeda stressed. "She didn't do it on purpose."

Ted let out a mirthless laugh.

"Well that makes it all right then. Since she didn't really _mean _it." He said. "Are you two even talking?"

"Not at the moment, no." Andromeda admitted.

"But you would do?" Ted clarified.

"I don't know. It's…it's more-." Andromeda attempted to explain.

"Complicated." Ted finished, cutting her off. "You're friends are getting attacked in the hallways by people who you think aren't 'that bad', but it's more complicated than that."

"Life isn't black and white, Ted." Andromeda exclaimed.

"Only shades of grey. Yeah, I know, I listen to The Monkees. They had a whole song about it." Ted replied.

"I don't know what that _means_." Andromeda said in annoyance.

They fell into silence for a few seconds, glaring at each other and trying to get the other to see their point of view. Finally, Ted broke the silence.

"Well, when you figure out how to make it uncomplicated, come find me." He said before walking out the door.

Andromeda was left in the Head's Office, annoyed, confused, and mostly just tired. She was really beginning to hate the war and it hadn't even started yet.

* * *

><p>The Slytherin common room was less of a common room and more of a braggart's den. It was the place where a Slytherin could brag about what they had done freely, without having to worry about being tattled on. A large part of the house supported whatever the person was bragging about, and whoever didn't was kept silent by fear and past history.<p>

Andromeda sat in the Slytherin common room with Elvendork Witherspoon, who was attaching herself to her with increasing regularity, listening in on the fifth year Slytherins' own bragging. Elvendork was prattling on about something, but Andromeda had perfected the ability to listen in on several conversations at once and still follow what was going on. It was the only way to survive in the Black household.

She was listening to Lucius Malfoy's argument with Travis Goyle over who exactly had been the one to cast the Cruciatus Curse on the mudblood. Travis seemed adamant that it was him, but Lucius was, probably rightfully, proclaiming that Travis was too idiotic to be capable of using such a curse. At the mention of mudblood, Andromeda's ears perked up.

"Don't be stupid." Malfoy said. "You and Rowle couldn't even take on Dearborn."

"Caradoc Dearborn is tough. Have you seen the bloke?" Goyle defended.

"He's on the wrong side of the pureblood family." Malfoy grumbled. "I much prefer the _helpful _Dearborns."

"Wesley Dearborn wasn't exactly helpful last night." Goyle pointed out. "As soon as he saw Caradoc he went running."

"Trust me, I know." Malfoy assured. "Travers did manage to knock him out for a bit, who knew a Gryffindor could have some use?"

"He didn't knock him out so much as tackle him to the ground." Goyle remarked. "Pollux said as much."

"The same Pollux who Caradoc then knocked out?" Malfoy asked wryly. "I doubt he saw _that _much."

"Andromeda?" Elvendork asked snapping her fingers in Andromeda's face. "Are you listening?"

Andromeda silently cursed Elvendork for existing. She had been focusing on Malfoy's conversation, hoping to get the names of everyone who had been involved in the attack on Charity, and had managed to miss all of Elvendork's tirade.

"No. I got distracted. What were you saying?" Andromeda admitted.

"I was just wondering if you'd noticed how Viktor Flint had a huge bruise on his face this morning? He wouldn't tell anyone how he got it." Elvendork repeated. "Juniper was pretty worried since he's her younger brother. She thinks he got in a fight."

"Isn't he a fourth year?" Andromeda asked.

"Yeah, but he's been hanging around Lucius Malfoy a lot recently and Juniper thinks he might be a bad influence." Elvendork said.

"Excuse me." Andromeda said getting up suddenly. "I just remembered I had to talk with Professor Slughorn about a Potions assignment."

She made her way out of the common room as quickly as possible, leaving a confused Elvendork in her wake. She had to talk to someone though; someone who she was sure could fill in the blanks. Finding them was going to be the hard bit, however.

* * *

><p>After thirty minutes Andromeda walked into the library and let out a sound of annoyance. Of <em>all<em> the places in the castle she hadn't thought to look, and she had thought of a lot, how had she managed to overlook the library? She made her way towards one of the tables and sat down, causing Caradoc Dearborn to look up in surprise.

"I need to talk to you." She said.

"About?" He asked.

"Last night." Andromeda elaborated. "Sorry for abandoning you with Travers, by the way."

"S'all right." Caradoc said with a shrug. "Handled it."

"So I heard." Andromeda said with a laugh. "Do you know who was there, though?"

Caradoc shook his head.

"Only two." He answered.

"Well, which two?" Andromeda inquired.

"Goyle and Rowle." Caradoc replied. "Knocked them out."

"Right, if I give you names of other people who might have been involved could you tell me if they sound familiar?" Andromeda asked. "I really only need to know one."

"Maybe." Caradoc said.

"Viktor Flint. Do you know him?" Andromeda pressed. "Dark features, crooked teeth, talks loud."

"Think so." Caradoc remarked, thinking back. "There're five."

"Right." Andromeda agreed.

"One ran off." Caradoc continued. "Coward."

"Yes." Andromeda agreed. "I know which one that is. I know them all but the fifth."

"Who ran?" Caradoc asked curiously.

"Your cousin." Andromeda answered with a laugh.

"Wesley?" Caradoc clarified.

"Yes, him." Andromeda nodded.

Caradoc let out a low laugh that surprised Andromeda; she had not expected Caradoc as the laughing sort.

"Must've seen me." Caradoc said to himself. "Terrified of me."

"I think Goyle and Rowle are now too." Andromeda pointed out as Caradoc shook his head.

"Childhood." He explained. "We'd roughhouse."

"I imagine that you always won?" Andromeda asked with a laugh.

"Always." Caradoc agreed.

"I'm not surprised." Andromeda observed. "You knocked out both Travis Goyle _and _Pollux Rowle."

Caradoc shrugged as if it were no big deal. Andromeda was beginning to wonder if Caradoc had just been going easy on the other people involved in Charity's attack.

"Flint?" Caradoc reminded her.

"Oh, right. Viktor Flint. He had a nasty bruise on his face this morning. Did you hit any of them?" Andromeda asked.

"Yes." Caradoc answered. "His face."

"I think Viktor Flint's our guy then." Andromeda decided. "I imagine you hit hard enough to leave a bruise.

"What'll you do?" Caradoc asked curiously.

"Do? Oh, nothing. I won't do _anything_." Andromeda said with a smirk. "Thank you for the help, Caradoc."

She got up from the library and made her way back down to the common room, a plan forming in her mind. She might not be able to tell any of the professors it was them, or even visit Charity in the Hospital Wing, but if there was anything Andromeda Black was good at it was getting revenge. If there was anything she was excellent at it was getting revenge without anyone knowing she had done it in the first place.

Let the games begin.

* * *

><p>Lucius Malfoy was easy. It barely took any effort on Andromeda's part. Having none him for years and hearing about him nonstop from Narcissa for the past few weeks Andromeda felt she knew him well enough that dealing with him would be easy. Lucius was a creature of habit, he sat at the same seat at the Slytherin table every day, hung out with the same people, coincidentally the people who had helped attack Charity, and he showed up at the same time.<p>

Most importantly, Lucius Malfoy was vain. His blonde hair was his pride, careful brushed and styled, grown to just the right length. His haughty features were admired in the mirror daily, his aristocratic nose, he was predictable and a tad narcissistic and that made him an easy target. He was first.

Before dinner that evening Andromeda crept into the kitchens and dropped a couple of potions into the side of soup that would be appearing at Lucius Malfoy's regular seat. It was his favorite and he would eat it all, so no remnants would be found to be traced back to the house elves. It was all _too _easy.

A little after dinner that evening Lucius Malfoy was lazing about the common room chatting with Narcissa, it started slowly, just one strand at first, but soon silver blonde strands started falling out with surprising speed. Narcissa looked startled as a couple of strands fell onto her lap. Lucius reached up to touch his hand, horrified, towards his head. His hand was met with a bald patch and Andromeda watched with a faint smile on her face as his eyes widened.

"Lucius, are you all right?" Narcissa asked concern evident in her tone.

An answer never came as Lucius got up and made his way out of the common room, Andromeda assumed he was heading towards the Hospital Wing. She was glad he'd made it out of the room before the other potions took effect, if only because she didn't want him to have to deal with the embarrassment of him turning into a frightening mess right before Narcissa's eyes. She was mad for her friend, but no one deserved that sort of humiliation.

"Did you see that?" Narcissa asked standing in front of Andromeda, worry in her eyes.

Andromeda looked up surprised.

"See what?" She asked.

"Lucius just…" Narcissa began trailing off as she looked towards the door with concern. "I hope he's all right."

"I'm sure he is." Andromeda soothed.

"I hope he went to the Hospital Wing." Narcissa said, biting her lip.

"He probably did." Andromeda offered.

Narcissa tucked her hair behind her ear and shot another look towards the door before heading over towards her friends, assuming that Lucius wanted to be alone in his anguish at least for a little while. Andromeda's victory felt slightly hallow at her younger sister's concern, but she quickly set aside the feeling of guilt.

One down, four to go.

* * *

><p>Travis Goyle ate almost nonstop. He was so enamored with food that he was not one to question when random food presented itself to him. Eating a leftover muffin in the hallway raised no qualms for him. Free food was just that, food that was free. As far as he was concerned it would be rude to turn such a gift down.<p>

Andromeda left some questionable cauldron cakes sitting out on the dresser in the fifth year boy's dorm. She knew he would see them and not worry about them belonging to another boy in the dorm, it was common knowledge to most everyone in Slytherin that if you left food out it belonged to Travis Goyle. It didn't take too long for him to find it and shove his face with the delectable treats. Andromeda was not aware of her success until Travis Goyle made his way up the staircase from the boy's dorms.

Andromeda was still seated at her corner table where she had observed the Malfoy debacle, she was pretending to do homework but she had done very little, and Narcissa had long since disappeared out the common room entrance presumably to be sure that Lucius was all right, she looked up as a groan carried through the common room. Travis Goyle was the source. Andromeda tried to hide her smirk.

His face looked slightly green and he was clutching his stomach, a little bit of vomit was flecked around his mouth. Andromeda had added a variety of potions into the different cauldron cakes and she hadn't been sure what the result would be, but she assumed that Goyle would be steering clear of cauldron cakes for a while.

"Are you all right, mate?" Pollux Rowle asked coming up to the queasy looking Travis Goyle.

"Bad cauldron cakes." Goyle choked out. "Hospital Wing."

"I told you that you should stop eating food you find out." Pollux said with a shake of his head.

"Is this really the time?" Goyle asked with annoyance.

"Right." Pollux said taking Goyle's arm. "Come along, I'll bring you there."

Andromeda watched as Pollux escorted Goyle out of the common room, she'd have to figure out a way to get him back for his involvement. Lucius and Travis were easy targets, she knew them well, the other three would provide a challenge.

She had time though, and she was already almost halfway there. Two down, three to go.

* * *

><p>It was a bit drastic, perhaps, but Andromeda liked to think big and there was no way that anything could be tracked back to her, so it wasn't as though she would get in trouble. Pollux Rowle and Wesley Dearborn were both always late to Charms. They always came up with some excuse or another, but the notable thing was that they were always late.<p>

Andromeda happened to have a free period during their Charms lesson, so it wasn't too hard for her to make her way to the staircase that led to the third floor and cast a quick aquamenti to ensure that the floor would be wet. Once she had decided the floor was slippery enough she made her way towards a bench nearby and opened her copy of _Anna Karenina_ to wait. It didn't take long.

Wesley and Pollux came loping down the hallway chatting about something or other, Andromeda swore she heard the name Burbage drop from their lips, and Pollux turned to look at her in surprise stopping in the middle of whatever he had been saying.

"Hullo Andromeda." He greeted making her look up. "Free period?"

"Yes." Andromeda answered. "I thought I'd catch up on my reading."

She gestured with her book and offered a smile to Pollux.

"You have Charms don't you?" She asked curiously. "Running a bit late?"

"We were visiting Travis and Lucius in the Hospital Wing." Wesley explained.

"How is Lucius?" Andromeda inquired. "Narcissa was worried about him."

"He's been better, although I don't think he's minded the amount of attention Narcissa's been giving him recently." Pollux said with a laugh.

"Well, I don't want to keep you." Andromeda remarked. "Flitwick will be fairly cross, on you go."

"Goodbye." Wesley said giving a little wave.

"Au revoir." Andromeda offered going back to her book.

"Ciao bella." Pollux replied offering Andromeda a playful wink before he and Wesley continued on their way.

Andromeda peered over her book as they made their way towards the stairs, Wesley gave Pollux a light shove and he lost his footing as they made their way onto the puddle in front of the stairs. He grasped onto Wesley's arm for support and ended up pulling him down with him towards the stairs. Wesley let out a yelp as Pollux slipped and began to tumble down the stairs, catching Wesley and making him fall down the stairs as well.

With a thud the two fell to the bottom and Andromeda looked up in mock-surprise, getting up and carefully making her way over towards the stairs. She looked down at the jumbled mass of Pollux and Wesley with concern.

"Are you two all right?" She called down to them.

In response Wesley let out a groan and Pollux held up a thumb in confirmation. Andromeda made her down the stairs carefully, shooting a quick drying spell to the pool of water she had created a few moments ago. She carefully disentangled Pollux and Wesley and checked them both for injuries before levitating them and making her way towards the Hospital Wing. She opened the Hospital Wing door and Madame Renfield looked up at her in surprise.

"Pollux Rowle and Wesley Dearborn just fell down the stairs." Andromeda said gesturing to the boys behind her. "I think they may have broken something."

"Of course they did." Madame Renfield exclaimed in despair. "You Slytherins are dropping like flies."

"Are we?" Andromeda asked looking around in surprise. "I suppose there are a lot of us in here. Wesley and Pollux make four."

Madame Renfield nodded her head and brought the two new additions to her Hospital Wing to beds next to each other, moving around them in a bit of a frenzy. It was obvious she was at her wits end with so many additions to the Hospital Wing so fast.

"What happened?" She asked Andromeda when she looked up and remembered she was there.

"They were heading to Charms and just fell down the stairs." Andromeda answered with a shrug. "I was reading as it's my free period so I actually missed it."

"All right, come along to my office and we can make a proper report." Madame Renfield said with a sigh.

Andromeda followed behind her passing the various occupied hospital beds. Charity, who for possibly the first time since she had entered the Hospital Wing had no visitors, met Andromeda's eyes as she walked by and raised her eyebrows. Andromeda offered her a small smile before being entering Madame Renfield's slightly cluttered office to fill out a full report.

* * *

><p>She was left, finally, with Viktor Flint. She didn't want to hurt him too much, considering his older sister was actually one of her sort of mates, but his involvement in the attack on one of her actual certain mates could not be ignored. She settled, finally, for shooting him a particularly nasty hex covertly in the common room after classes were done for the day. Enough to get him to go to the Hospital Wing but not something that would hurt or damage him permanently.<p>

It was thus that she was in the common room again, pretending to study, and keeping an eye on Viktor Flint who was sitting by himself now that the rest of his usual mates how found themselves hospitalized. Andromeda nonverbally sent a tooth-growing hex in his direction and kept at it until his teeth were long enough that he'd have to go to the Hospital Wing to have them reversed.

At first he didn't notice, as he continued to stare at the book that he appeared to be reading, it was a good one Andromeda had read it before, but as his view of the words became obstructed he looked up in horror, staring around the room with one horribly bruised eye for someone who happened to be grasping their wand. Andromeda, who's wand was being held lightly in her hand against the table most of it obscured by the textbook in front of her, stared down at her book with feigned interest as though all she cared about was how Gregory the Smarmy had led the goblins to victory.

She looked up once she was sure that Viktor had already passed over her and decided that it wasn't her and checked the length of Viktor's two front teeth. He had stood up some time ago and his teeth were moving slowly past his waist. Andromeda quickly stopped the spell, casting a nonverbal undetectable charm to clear her wand, in case if they did checks once he arrived in the Hospital Wing, as she quietly slid it back into her bag.

She watched as Juniper came up to her brother in a wave of panic, asking if he was all right and demanding he go to the Hospital Wing at once. Unable to speak and provide any assurances or disagreements with going to the Hospital Wing Viktor Flint was led, quite possibly against his will, out of the common room and towards the Hospital Wing.

Andromeda smiled to herself as she looked back at her book as though she had missed the whole thing. With all five boys sent successfully to the Hospital Wing and therefore dealt with, all acts untraceable back to her, her comeuppance on the behalf of Charity was complete.

She could not begin to understand the mentality behind those who insisted that revenge was not sweet.

* * *

><p>Charity was released from the Hospital Wing that evening to everyone's joy and Andromeda ran into her and Ted in the hallway on her way back from the library. Ted, who Andromeda had not talked to since their disagreement, offered her an awkward wave, but Charity had a full-fledged smile on her face.<p>

"I was just telling Ted how weird it was that everyone who we thought might have been involved in my attack ended up in the Hospital Wing." Charity said by way of greeting.

"We weren't even talking about that." Ted disagreed confused.

"Shut up, Ted. I'm making a point." Charity ordered. "Wasn't that weird, Andromeda?"

"You know what they say about karma." Andromeda said with a shrug.

"All those accidents though, they seem sort of unlikely, don't they?" Charity continued as though Andromeda hadn't spoken.

Andromeda shrugged.

"Just some bad luck going around Slytherin house, I guess."

"All right then, Andromeda. If you're going to be that way." Charity said with a shake of her head. "Thank you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Andromeda said with false confusion. "I am glad to see you're better though."

They parted ways and a small smile made its way onto Andromeda's face. Ted, on the other hand, looked at Charity completely perplexed.

"What was that about?" He asked her.

"Are you thick or what?" Charity replied. "Andromeda's the reason why all the prats ended up in the Hospital Wing. Caradoc said as much."

"Silent Car said that?" Ted asked in surprise. "Silent Car said _anything_?"

"What?" Charity inquired. "What did you just call him?"

"Silent Car. It's his tough guy nick name." Ted explained, looking exceptionally proud of himself before seeing Charity's face. "What? No good?"

"It sounds like a really bad car commercial." Charity exclaimed with a laugh.

"I'll keep trying." Ted said with a pout.

"You ought to." Charity agreed. "So, all things considered, is Andromeda forgiven for her little indiscretion?"

"It's complicated." Ted joked.

"Oh my God." Charity exhaled in slight annoyance. "You two are both so annoying. You're perfect for each other."

Ted let out a laugh, but he couldn't stop a small appreciative smile from sliding onto his face.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Apparition classes soon ended which meant only one thing; it was time for the examination. Now, this was not such a worrying thing, at least not to most of the sixth years who were not yet seventeen, but to Andromeda Black who had turned seventeen a month or so ago it meant only one thing, she could not fail. Andromeda had been apparating fairly regularly during the lessons, so it was not necessarily likely she would fail, but there was still a level of stress and worry surrounding the whole affair.

The day of the examination Andromeda attempted to be as confident as she could, even as she thought of all the horrible things that her mother would say if she found out she hadn't passed on the first time, something Bellatrix had done without even trying. Andromeda didn't need something else for her mother to bother her about, she was sure her height and inability to stop eating was more than enough, so she had to pass, there wasn't much choice.

The good thing about being a Black, though Andromeda was beginning to doubt there were any more good things considering her current secret rebellion, was that she was always one of the first to be called. Andromeda was of the opinion that it was best to go first, or as close to first as she could, she didn't like to wait about in a nervous disposition all day in an attempt to put something off. Her father had often joked that she had come out when she had, two weeks premature as it were, because she could no longer see the point of waiting about. Andromeda was always the first to give presentations, the first to speak at prefect's meetings, the first to do most anything.

It was fitting, therefore, that she was among the first group to do the examination. She stood between Sean Albain and Charity Burbage, with Caradoc Dearborn down the way, waiting for the signal from Bathsheba Goshawk to apparate the few feet to the other side of Hogsmeade. Bathsheba Goshawk counted down from three and Andromeda concentrated on the spot she was meant to be going, remembering all the things they had learned. It wasn't long until the familiar feeling of apparition came over her, the slightly nauseating squeezing of her body, before she was transplanted a little further down Hogsmeade in the fresh air.

She reached a hand up tentatively and touched her face; to be sure she was still intact. She glanced at Charity, who was standing not far from her, and wordlessly they each looked each other up and down offering a silent thumbs up to each other. Caradoc Dearborn was having a stinted discussion with one of the other proctors of the exam, and from what Andromeda could hear it seemed as though he had passed. Sean Albain, however, blonde of hair and of mind, was still standing at the starting point, green eyes muddled.

Bathsheba Goshawk walked up to Andromeda and Charity, as another one of the proctors walked over to the starting point to investigate for any splinched hair or fingernails before offering a quick 'okay' signal to Bathsheba. Bathsheba congratulated them and talked them through the rest of the process, signing paperwork and filing, before taking them over to a station on the sidelines where Caradoc was already seated in a chair filling out papers.

"You'll have to wait for the rest of your peers to finish." Bathsheba Goshawk finished, handing them each a clipboard. "Just sign here and here, and when you're done go over to Bertie over there and he'll help you out."

Directions given Bathsheba walked back to her spot and called the next four names from her little list. The students lined up and Andromeda watched with slight disinterest over her clipboard as Parminder Finchhook, Killington Harrinvinch, Lily Herald, and Suzette Ludwood all lined up to begin their examination.

Andromeda wandered over to Bertie as Parminder, Killington, Lily, and Suzette all managed to apparate to the other end of the street. Suzette, however, appeared to have lost a single brunette curl and was promptly flunked by the proctor, going to join Sean Albain on the other side of the street, shoulders slumped.

Paperwork filled out and approved, Andromeda watched as various other classmates, there weren't too many of them, either passed or failed their examination. Finally, the exams were finished and the students made their way from Hogsmeade back to Hogwarts chatting about their now legal ability to apparate. Andromeda was positive it was all she'd be hearing about until Easter Holiday, and probably talking about herself, but she didn't mind too much. She had passed on her first try, and that meant she wouldn't have to put up with the humiliation and her mother's harsh comments.

Maybe Easter Holidays wouldn't be as bad as the Christmas one was.

* * *

><p>This positive outlook, of course, lasted perhaps five minutes. When Andromeda apparated home from King's Cross with Narcissa, who seemed ambivalent to not having to wait for Shenny, she was already met with her mother's crude and judgmental eye. It wasn't long until Andromeda was deemed entirely inadequate and then reminded that it was Easter holidays which, to most Hogwarts aged students, meant some time away from schoolwork to relax, but to a pureblood meant the launch of season. Andromeda cared very little about the launch of season, all it meant to her was an extra ball were she'd have to sit and politely clap as girls came out in their white dress robes being 'presented to society'.<p>

That was, of course, until she was reminded of who would be presented this year. He dear cousin, of the first variety unfortunately, Martha Rosier was turning fifteen and that meant that it was finally her year to be paraded around in high society events, batting her eyes at pureblood gentleman. Further to the point, because Martha was her first cousin and Mrs. Black had no daughters of her own to present this year for the first time since Bellatrix had been presented, Narcissa would not be making a formal appearance until next year, she had agreed to sponsor Martha.

There were many different roles a sponsor could play in a young woman's season, money, lessons, connections, hosting parties in their name. The possibilities were endless. The Rosier's were not necessarily in want of money, so Mrs. Black had taken it upon herself to provide some proper training to refine Martha's less than admirable qualities. This meant, however, that she'd have to find someone who could teach the girl some proper manners, Mrs. Black was of the opinion that she had none, and that the person would have to be able to spend sufficient time with Martha in order to fully prepare her for the season.

Mrs. Black was never one for looking for help on the outside, why bring an unknown into a dilemma that could easily be solved by the family? Ergo, she began thinking of people suitable for the task of teaching her niece some proper manners, positive that her sister had been less than successful in raising her right. Had Narcissa been a year or two older, perhaps the task would have gone to her, being the perfect lady and a pleasure to both look upon and converse with, but as she was not yet recognized by society herself, that left very little options for Mrs. Black to pick from.

Bellatrix was far too wild and uncaring of society, elbows on the table, horrible posture, things Mrs. Black had tried again and again to correct but Bellatrix never seemed too concerned with, made even worse by her position of somewhat authority in this new Knights of Walpurgis group. This left Andromeda, who, of the two, was certainly the best decision. Despite Mrs. Black's disapprovals Andromeda held herself in a certain aristocratic air that was necessary to be anyone of esteemed quality in society. She slipped at times, but her own season had gone off so well that she'd had not one but _two _suitors, and if what Mrs. Black had heard was correct, technically still did to this day.

Perhaps Mrs. Black pushed Andromeda more because she expected better of her, saw a potential in her that she felt was wasted, or perhaps she simply was not fond of her middle daughter who always seemed a little off, holding slightly differing opinions of her own. She certainly did not agree with the amount of time Andromeda spent with her brother-in-law Alphard, and she certainly didn't appreciate Andromeda's insistence on making a name for herself of her own, but if there was one thing she had to admit, to give her daughter as a full complement, Andromeda knew how to hold herself in public setting, most of the time, and if anyone was capable of getting poor Martha Rosier, who lacked even a semblance of societal grace, into shape before season launched, it was.

When Mrs. Black told Andromeda of her plan Andromeda was unsure if she should feel grateful to her mother for actually giving her any sort of compliment, a rare occurrence indeed, or irked that she had just been sentenced to spending the majority of her week in the company of Martha Rosier.

She settled for irked. Spending extra time with Martha was not what she had planned for this holiday, but perhaps Martha was not nearly bad as she remembered, maybe she was just worse in prefect meetings and the common room because she liked to pretend to be a horrible person. Or maybe Andromeda was just going to have to suck it up and prepare for a less than thrilling holiday, which was what she was banking on, in any case.

* * *

><p>Andromeda awoke her first proper day of holiday with a sense of excitement. Any other day would have held a sense of foreboding, considering past experiences, but today was the day that the tickets Andromeda had received for Christmas had been prophesizing about for months. In the tiny little font, right under <em>Falmouth Falcons versus <em>_Chudley Cannons, _was written 3 April 1969. Andromeda had been unconsciously counting down to this day, the day she'd finally get to see the Falcons play, and no amount of dissatisfaction with the way her holiday seemed to be shaping up would discount that.

"Andromeda, dear, are you ready to go?" Mr. Black asked in the foyer.

"Yes father." Andromeda replied, attempting to curb her excitement.

Mr. Black offered his arm to Andromeda as they exited Black Manor and apparated to where the match between the Falmouth Flacons and Chudley Cannons was meant to be. Appearing on a set of moors in Northern England, Andromeda and her father followed the line of queuing witches and wizards decked out in contrasting orange and greys, Andromeda was wearing grey herself, towards their separate preferred seating box.

Upon arrival Andromeda noted some familiar faces, Bartemius Crouch and his family, who seemed to never miss a Quidditch match, were there. Mr. Black exchanged some quick words with him, Bartemius had showed up at Andromeda's house a handful of times, being at the top of the Auror department and therefore needing to discuss various departmental issues with her father. As of late Bartemius had been discussing putting a stop to this brewing war, although Mr. Black had been turning him down.

It was a terse conversation, only lasting a few minutes, as Andromeda and Mr. Black made their way towards their seats. Andromeda and her father chatted for a bit, mostly about Bartemius Crouch given his freshness in her father's mind, Mr. Black explaining how Bartemius had presumed to catch these, in his own words, up and coming troublemakers. According to Bartemius they had started using Unforgiveables, including the Cruciatus Curse, Andromeda herself could vouch for that, and Bartemius was considering giving the Auror Department, of whom he was Head, permission to use the spell back.

Mr. Black had continuously been shutting down all of his proposals, officially on the grounds of unnecessarily extreme measures. He confided to Andromeda, however, that he didn't think that this group much needed to be stopped, since what they wanted to do was nothing more than what should be done, even if the way they went about it was a bit extreme. Andromeda listened more than replied, mostly because she wasn't positive she could say anything without disagreeing with her father about the stance of muggle-borns in wizarding society, and not wanting to give herself or Ted away she decided it was best to keep her mouth shut.

Mr. Black liked it better that way anyways. Mr. Black was fond of intellectual conversation, which was why his middle daughter was his unofficial favorite, but he much preferred lecture than discourse. He liked when his conversational partner listened to what he wanted to say rather than tried to reply and offer opinions of his own. In his own mind Mr. Black had been shaping Andromeda's view of the world, giving her intelligent thoughts and opinions by the lengthy discussions they had held in the past, which, in his own defense, was partly true. He had no idea of knowing that these discussions with Andromeda had provided her to think intelligibly, which is what he had been hoping for, but also to lead her to draw her own conclusions, which is something he never would have expected, considering what these conclusions were.

Andromeda, however, not wanting to rock the boat or create any sort of discomfort for herself kept all these facts and thoughts to herself. As long as her father still thought she was the perfect daughter, a nice mixture of intelligent and impressionable, never talking back or expressing radical views, then she could continue happily in her family. It was all a matter of self-preservation at this point.

By the time her father had finished detailing Bartemius Crouch's plan, and his own way of deflecting it, the Quidditch match had begun. The conversation between Andromeda and her father quickly ceased as the Falmouth Falcons made their way onto the pitch, meeting the Chudley Cannons in the middle where the two captains shook hands.

At the signal of the referee both teams took off into the air and the match was quickly underway. It was not an exceptionally hard match, the Chudley Cannons were quickly gaining a reputation for being a horrible team despite their previous league wins, and the Falcons all but slaughtered them, Kevin Broadmoor knocking at least two off of their brooms with various Beater maneuvers. The Falcons had scored two hundred and ten points by the time that either of the Seekers had bothered to see the snitch.

The Chudley Cannons held an impressive thirty points due, partially, to the fact that one of their Chasers had been knocked off of their broom within the first ten minutes by a bludger Kevin and Karl Broadmoor had sent his way. The Falcons impressive lead had only been helped by the fact that Karl Broadmoor had all but rammed the Cannons' Keeper, Dalliance Ludwig, off of his broom at an undisclosed point in the match.

Hope, however, was not entirely lost, as the Chudley Cannons' Seeker saw a glint of gold in the corner of his eye. It was more than just a snitch to Seeker Cecily Cartwright who had not caught the snitch once in her twenty year career and was on the precipice of getting fired and replaced by second string Seeker, Galvin Gudgeon. If she could catch the snitch just once it was possible that her career might yet be saved, and thus, at the sight of gold, she made of towards it with all the speed she could afford.

Kellan Webster was not so emotionally involved in the catching of the snitch, his career certainly was not riding on it, considering his capabilities at his job, but he wasn't one for losing and, currently unaware of the score of his team, was not willing to risk losing the snitch and the match to another team, let alone the Chudley Cannons. He noted Cartwright's sudden increased speed almost at once, and followed after her, taking only a few moments to catch up.

The two raced towards the snitch for a minute or two, as the announcer called out encouragements and excited ramblings at the sight of the snitch and the impending end to the match. It was, at that moment, that Kevin Broadmoor, adept Beater that he was, took notice of a stray bludger nearby Cartwright and sent it spinning her way. The bludger hit almost instantly, crashing into Cartwright's arm and most likely breaking it, just as she had outstretched it to catch the elusive golden ball. She careened sideways at the sudden impact, not weighing much at all and therefore not having the weight to sustain herself on a broom after high speed collisions, and began to tumble off her broom, stretching her arms out wildly as she tried to catch back on.

She hurdled towards the ground as Webster continued his pursuit of the snitch, which had suddenly disappeared once again as it is want to do. There was a moment of fear in Cartwright's mind as she wondered if, in her bad luck, the levitation charm that was placed at the bottom of every Quidditch pitch would somehow be faulty.

"And Cartwright goes hurtling towards the ground! The Cannons hope of catching the snitch all but gone." The announcer called, leaning forward over the microphone as he watched Cecily Cartwright stop in the air moments before hitting the ground. "Webster continues to look for the snitch in the air as the Cannons manage to make another goal, making the score forty to two hundred and ten."

There was a moment of confusion as Cecily Cartwright picked herself up off the ground, using only her left hand as the right was broken. In a gasp of pain as she accidentally landed on her right arm she opened her closed fist, which she had made as the bludger had hit her arm, and dropped a small gold, immobile ball. Cartwright stared in disbelief, the crowd went silent, the announcer was at a loss for words. At home hundreds of listeners, sitting at their radios with their fingers crossed praying for the best, sat in puzzlement at the sudden quiet emitting from their radios, a thing almost unheard of at a Quidditch match. Ted Tonks, avid Cannons fan, who had squirreled himself away in his room to listen to the match, tapped his radio in confusion, thinking perhaps it had suddenly gone dead.

"And…And Cecily Cartwright, she, she catches the snitch!" The announcers voice suddenly broke through, sounding more shocked than narrative. "This brings the final score to two hundred and ten to one hundred and ninety, to the Falmouth Falcons and Chudley Cannons respectively. The Falmouth Falcons win the match! Although it's possibly the closest match the Cannons have played in a while, Cartwright may have just saved her job with that catch folks. Congratulations Falcons!"

Andromeda let out a cheer from her seat as the Falmouth Falcons did a victory lap around the pitch, not so much surprised at the victory, but still happy to have had her team won. The stands began to empty at the end of the match, and Andromeda got up to file out with the rest of the crowd, before Mr. Black grabbed her arm and had her sit back down.

"I have a surprise for you, a late birthday present if you will." Mr. Black explained.

"You gave me a birthday present though." Andromeda pointed out confused.

Mr. Black shrugged as if he lacked a proper explanation, Andromeda, not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, promptly shut up and waited for her father to explain further. No explanation came. They sat in silence for ten minutes as the stadium emptied, Andromeda in confusion and Mr. Black with a sense of confidence and pride, knowing what was about to happen.

"All right, come along." Mr. Black said suddenly once the stadium was mostly empty.

He led Andromeda down the stairs and towards the exit but, rather than head towards the exit, he continued walking as if towards the pitch. Andromeda followed in confusion as the stepped onto the pitch and made their way across towards the changing rooms of the teams.

"Are we going to meet the teams?" Andromeda asked suddenly, trying to contain her excitement in case this was not so.

"Yes, we are." Mr. Black answered, smile sliding onto his face.

Andromeda stopped suddenly, eyes going ride at the prospect of being in the same room as Kevin Broadmoor. She breathed once, then twice, before taking a step forward again towards her father who was looking back at her with a bemused expression on her face.

"Mother of Circe!" She exclaimed finally. "You're the best!"

Mr. Black laughed at his daughter as she caught up to him, barely containing her excitement at the idea of meeting her favorite Quidditch team.

They walked into the changing room where the various members of the Falmouth Falcons were joking about and pushing each other around, much like any team. Except this team was the Falmouth Falcons and Andromeda had half of them on a poster above her bed and she was doing all she could not to hyperventilate and pass out in front of them.

"Cygnus." Quentin Greengrass, the captain of the Falcons, greeted. "Nice to see you again."

Quentin and Mr. Black shook hands before Mr. Black turned around and introduced Andromeda to him.

"Ah, Andromeda Black, my niece Zelda Greengrass in your year. She said you fought a bear?" Quentin remarked causing Andromeda to laugh and Mr. Black to turn to her in confusion.

"That was a rumor." Andromeda explained. "There was no bear, just a stupid girl."

"She also said you fought off a bunch of guys who were picking on third years." Quentin remarked. "She said there was four or five of them, also a rumor?"

"No, that…that actually happened." Andromeda answered awkwardly.

Karl Broadmoor let out a low whistle and Andromeda felt as though she might die.

"Don't play Quidditch, do you?" Kevin Broadmoor inquired. "If you can take on five guys you could probably make a decent beater."

It took Andromeda a moment or two to respond, mostly because she was looking Kevin Broadmoor straight in the face and he talking to _her_, thinking that she could be a good beater. She pinched herself to check and see if she was dreaming, she was not.

"No, I'm rubbish on a broom, unfortunately." Andromeda said finally. "My b-friend is really good at it though, he's a Chaser. He likes the Chudley Cannons, though."

"I'm glad someone does." Cecily Cartwright remarked walking into the changing room. "Thanks about the arm, Kevin."

"It's all part of the game, love." Kevin said shooting a wink Cecily's way, Andromeda nearly died.

"Good job today, Cece." Kellan congratulated. "Pretty impressive how you caught that snitch."

"No thanks to you lot, saved my job though." Cecily remarked heading over to Kellan and giving him a quick kiss. "Good job today, dear."

"I was worried Kellan might let you win just so you'd keep it." Quentin added. "Would've had to fire him."

"Never." Kellan gasped. "I like winning too much."

Andromeda did not even mind that she was being completely ignored, partially due to the fact that Kevin Broadmoor was holding a short conversation with his brother a few inches away and she could smell him let alone see him, and partially due to the fact that she was in a room with Falmouth Falcons and that was fairly similar to being amoung gods.

"Is our no good seeker in here?" A voice called interrupting the various conversations that had erupted around the locker room.

"Right here, Bertie!" Cecily replied.

The rest of the Cannons came into the room in various states of undress, joking around.

Bertrand Zales, captain of the Cannons and Keeper, was lacking his shirt and Andromeda had to stop herself from gaping at him. She had not noticed that members of other Quidditch teams were attractive in her tunnel vision of Kevin Broadmoor lust.

"Marx gave us the quaffle for some reason, but we don't like to memorialize our losses." Bertrand remarked, a bruise covering a good portion of his body from where Karl Broadmoor had rammed her off his broom. "You guys want it?"

"We have so many quaffles." Quentin remarked wrinkling his nose.

"I sleep in a bed of quaffles, that's how many we have." Tilly Poles joked, the Falcons chaser.

"Taking a bit of a new look at 'eat, sleep, breath' Quidditch there Tilly?" Kevin inquired with a laugh.

"Would you like it Andromeda?" Quentin offered, causing Andromeda's eyes to widen.

"Yes!" She exclaimed before she even knew what she was saying.

"We can sign it even, if you'd like." Karl Broadmoor offered, as casually as if he had just asked her what house she was in.

"That would be-actually, it's my mate's birthday coming up soon, the one I was talking about before, so maybe I should get the Chudley Cannons to sign it. If that's not too much trouble?" Andromeda asked, looking at Bertrand nervously.

"Are you kidding?!" Bertrand exclaimed. "We never get to sign anything! Of course we'll sign it."

"Pretty good friend." Kevin Broadmoor remarked as the Cannons began to sign the quaffle. "I don't think I'd have given up the opportunity to have my favorite team sign a quaffle just for a mate."

"It'll make his day." Andromeda explained with a shrug. "He's a pretty big Quidditch fan."

"Sounds like more than just a mate." Kevin commented raising an eyebrow.

"What! No, I'm a pureblood, we don't date." Andromeda exclaimed, unsure of how to feel about having this sort of conversation of Kevin Broadmoor of all people.

Kevin Broadmoor raised his other eyebrow.

"You're trying to tell me a pretty girl like you doesn't date just because you're a pureblood?" Kevin asked.

Andromeda attempted not to blush at being complimented by Kevin Broadmoor of all people. She glanced over and found her father in deep conversation with Quentin Greengrass, having almost completely forgotten her presence.

"It's complicated." Andromeda finally allowed.

"How so? He a troll?" Kevin asked.

"Worse, muggle-born." Andromeda explained.

"Much worse." He agreed, wincing for her. "Bless you for trying."

"All set." Bertrand said offering Andromeda the now signed Quaffle. "Your mate will probably think you're the best thing since sliced bread."

"I bet he already does." Kevin remarked winking at Andromeda.

Signed Quaffle tucked under her arm Andromeda smiled, trying not to squeal to herself at being winked at by Kevin Broadmoor. She couldn't help but think to herself, as she looked at her father joke around with Quentin Greengrass that she was probably the luckiest girl in the world, and that she had the coolest father.

* * *

><p>Teaching Martha Rosier how to be a lady was a lot like trying to teach a snake to walk, impossible. It wasn't that Martha didn't know how to hold herself, she could present herself like a lady if she wanted to, the problem was she rarely wanted to. On top of that Martha had gained a reputation around school due to her flirtatious nature that would negatively impact her when she formally came back. Preparing her for season was more than just teaching her to cross her ankles and sit up straight; it was trying to turn her reputation into something good.<p>

It didn't help that Martha had possibly the worst personality, and she wasn't too fond of Andromeda.

"All right, so when we eat you have to keep elbows off of the table, sit up straight and make sure that you're using the right cutlery." Andromeda repeated.

"I know." Martha whined. "I've been taught this stuff since I was two."

"Then why are you slouching?" Andromeda asked tiredly.

"Because we've been sitting here for an hour now." Martha explained.

"Don't start a sentence with because." Andromeda reprimanded. "We never start sentences with because, and, or or and we never end them with prepositions."

"I _know._" Martha repeated.

"It doesn't seem like you do." Andromeda pointed out.

"Can we just do something else?" Martha asked.

"May we, not can we." Andromeda corrected. "You _may _get up and walk if you'd like, we can see how you carry yourself."

Martha let out an annoyed sigh as she got up from the table, and took a turn about the room under Andromeda's scrutinous gaze.

"No." Andromeda said once she was done. "You rock your hips too much, it's fine when you're going about Hogwarts trying to get all the boys into a broom closet with you, but if you walk like that when you're presented you'll be disgraced out of the season."

"I don't try and get all the boys into a broom closet!" Martha exclaimed in outrage.

"Look Martha, we don't have time to quibble about your sexual habits." Andromeda remarked. "We have less than four days to prepare you for the presentation, I can work on your unpleasant disposition during school before season properly gets off, but it seems like getting you ready for the presentation ceremony will be hard enough."

"I resent that." Martha sniffed.

"I'm not trying to mean." Andromeda explained. "You just aren't exactly the most traditional pureblood girl, and you have to be traditional for this thing. Walk around again but don't swing your hips this time, please."

Martha took another turn about the room and Andromeda let out a very unladylike groan.

"You look like you were walking with a watermelon between your legs." Andromeda complained. "Here watch how I do it."

Andromeda got up from the chair she had been sitting in and took a turn about the room, talking as she went about how to properly look as though one is floating.

"Now remember, shoulders back, keep your chin lifted. Hunching over isn't attractive in the least. Try again." Andromeda ordered, forcing Martha to push her shoulder all the way back.

Andromeda watched again as Martha walked around, slightly improved.

"Better." Andromeda declared. "I want you to practice walking for at least an hour for the next four days, and watch how other women walk in your presence. Your mother's very good at it, try and emulate her."

"I've never wanted to be told to emulate my mother." Martha proclaimed making a face.

"It's horrifying, I know, but they've been walking the walk and talking the talk for years now, they've practically perfected the art." Andromeda explained.

"What else will I have to do?" Martha asked with reluctance. "I don't want to be the laughing stock of the ball."

"Don't talk to any of the available males at the ball." Andromeda said, beginning a list of dos and don'ts in her head. "Don't spend the whole time with the girls you were presented with, though. Talk with older brothers, father, mothers, past seasoners. Make sure you stay away from the girls who didn't get picked by any guys last season, being seen with them won't help your chances."

"_Don't _talk to the available males?" Martha asked in confusion. "Isn't that the point?"

"Not at the presentation ball, once season formally starts in the summer with the Greengrass' kick off you can talk with them, but you don't want to seem too keen. Make a good impression on the people who will be helping the boys pick a suitable wife." Andromeda explained.

"How do you even know all this? You're only a year older than me." Martha asked.

"I'm a Black. We know everything." Andromeda replied, sticking her nose in the air. "Also, be sure to keep your gossip to yourself, gossip isn't something anyone will look for in a girl. Hold yourself in high esteem, the best thing to do is to attend teas with your mother for this week and pay attention to what she discusses, go shopping with her, follow her everywhere. It may not be fun, but it'll teach you what conversational topics to discuss and what exactly is important in our society right now."

"I already _know _what's important in our society." Martha pointed out. "The Knights."

"Don't mention that." Andromeda said at once. "It's still very hush hush, some people are for it and some aren't, some don't even know about it. If someone brings it up with you say a few words about how you think it's an interesting idea or some rubbish, but don't be too opinionated on it. It's too new to know where society stands on it."

"So if I follow all of your rules then will I have two guys fighting over my hand?" Martha asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Merlin, I hope not." Andromeda replied. "It's an absolute nightmare, trust me."

'Made worse,' she thought to herself, 'by the fact that I'd like neither of them, but rather someone completely different.'

* * *

><p>The ball at the end of holiday was a big deal in pureblood society. It was not like the Christmas Ball or New Year's Ball, though equally important. Those held weight for the holidays they celebrated and the scale to which they celebrated them, the Easter Ball was important in that it was the official kick off for the season. It set the tone for what the rest of the summer would be like, it presented the delicate females of pureblood society, giving them a night to be the stars of the show before becoming nothing more but talked about and analyzed pieces of trade.<p>

For the girls in question it was exciting, the first taste of what the summer would hold, tea parties and balls, dance cards filled to the brim with boys wanting to dance with them, men fighting over who would get their hand, a chance to up jump oneself into a family of higher class and shed the previous drab name, in some cases.

For the girls who had not been picked last season it was a sort of embarrassing affair, sitting at the table of debutants while the rest of the girls were having their names called and positions ranked. Having to go through all the extraneous people pleasing and personal plumping for another season, all with girls younger and prettier than you.

For Andromeda it was simply tedious. Another ball meant another instance to run into Theodore Nott or Walden MacNair, another chance for Bellatrix to corner her and try and pull her into some other dark meeting that she didn't agree with on principle. Worst of all, she realized belatedly, she was seventeen now and Walden knew that she was seventeen. Her ironclad excuse had run out, and now she'd have to come to some more elaborate way of deflecting the increasingly impatient boy, because If she hadn't been interested him previously the presence of Ted in her life, a constant thought even when he wasn't around, only convinced her she'd rather not get up to anything before she was forced to marry the prat.

Andromeda entered the ball, located at the Selwyn's manor, with her family keeping a close eye out for anyone who might be of some level of threat to her. It seemed that pureblood functions were becoming more of a threat than an enjoyment. Her family moved in silence, almost no one was speaking to anyone, her parents included who had gotten in some argument previously the night before, and quickly separated into different groups.

Andromeda wandered into a group of young witches about her age, not really caring where she went since she only had a handful of people she actually found bearable within pureblood society, and ran into a short, ginger-haired woman.

"Molly Prewett, you actually showed up to one of these." Andromeda exclaimed in surprise.

"It was bound to happen eventually." Molly replied. "Which roughly translates to my parents no longer approved of my skipping to hang out with Arthur."

"Bummer. At least there's finally a friendly face here." Andromeda said. "I was beginning to think I was going to have to spend the whole night fighting off various people who hate my guts."

"I was thinking the exact same." Molly remarked. "Unlike you I don't even have the grace to be in Slytherin, I have no friends here."

"None?" Andromeda asked in surprise.

"Well, your sister and I certainly aren't mates." Molly answered.

"Here I was thinking you and Bellatrix were best mates, how mistaken I was." Andromeda retorted. "Not everyone's horrible though."

"No, there are the Abbotts and Bones." Molly concluded. "If worst came to worst I was going to hang out with my younger brothers."

"How are they?" Andromeda asked politely.

"Fabian has officially renounced Gryffindor as his house and taken up permanent residence in the Ravenclaw tower." Molly commented. "Flitwick and McGonagall seem to have given up convincing him otherwise."

"It'll be an interesting seven years, then." Andromeda observed. "He still has to take classes with the Gryffindors though, right?"

"Yes, to his chagrin. I'm sure he'll be happy when they stop separating them by house in sixth year." Molly remarked. "It's just too bad he was sorted first, if Gideon had gone first he probably would have made the Sorting Hat put him in Ravenclaw. Even if he isn't one in the least."

"I'm sure eventually he'll be proud of being a Gryffindor." Andromeda said. "I've sucked it up and handled being a Slytherin after all."

"What house would you have been if your family hadn't predetermined it for you?" Molly asked curiously.

"Ravenclaw, most likely." Andromeda answered. "The Sorting Hat considered putting me there but there was no way that was happening."

"So everyone wants to be a Ravenclaw then." Molly observed. "You and Fabian might get on."

"Ravenclaw's a good house." Andromeda defended. "Some might say the best."

"Couldn't agree more." Caradoc remarked making Andromeda and Molly jump.

"I forgot you were a pureblood." Andromeda said. "As well as a Ravenclaw."

"Hide it well." Caradoc decided with a shrug.

"Caradoc." Molly greeted. "Nice seeing you."

Caradoc nodded towards her, as if to say the same.

"Hate these things." Caradoc continued. "Too much noise."

"You think everything's got too much noise." Andromeda pointed out.

"It does." Caradoc replied, unfazed.

"Where's your girlfriend then? She's a pureblood, right?" Andromeda inquired looking around for Miranda despite that she'd never actually seen her.

"I'm going to go find my brothers, make sure they aren't getting into trouble." Molly commented, giving a wave before walking away in pursuit of the two younger boys.

Caradoc gestured to a tiny brunette girl who was gesticulating wildly to a laughing blonde. Andromeda raised an eyebrow at Miranda Bones, taking her in for the first time. She didn't particularly look loud with her short mousy brown hair and giant spectacles, but rather like she ought to utter barely a word like Caradoc. However, there she was waving her arms and talking at the top of her lungs to the girl across from her.

Feeling Caradoc and Andromeda's eyes on her, Miranda turned around and waved at them, smile forming on her face. She headed over at once, and stopped in front of them with a large smile on her face. Andromeda thought she was so skinny she could probably break her in half.

"I was just asking Bernice if she had seen you!" Miranda exclaimed smiling at Caradoc. "But then she said she hadn't, but she _had _seen Georges Greengrass, she has a crush on him you know, so we had to have a whole in length discussion about it of course."

"Of course." Andromeda agreed as Caradoc nodded.

"Have we met?" Miranda asked.

"Not formally." Andromeda replied.

"Caradoc are you rubbing off on people again?" Miranda said crossly. "Stop getting other people to talk in sentence fragments!"

"Sorry." Caradoc apologized. "Never happens to you."

"That's because I'm immune." Miranda replied. "I'm Miranda Bones, nice to meet you."

"Andromeda Black, the pleasures all mine." Andromeda replied shaking her hand.

"Oh. Andromeda Black." Miranda Bones said taking her hand back at once. "I didn't realize."

"It's fine." Caradoc said to Miranda, as if trying to calm her.

"Let's go, Caradoc." Miranda said, grabbing Caradoc's arm.

"I'm not going to hex you or anything." Andromeda said in slight surprise.

"You say that now, but I'm _pro_ muggle-born rights." Miranda retorted. "I'm not exactly quiet about it either."

"I get the feeling you're not quiet about much of anything." Andromeda muttered to herself.

"What's that? Got a problem?" Miranda inquired sharply. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did."

"Well, you know me." Andromeda said sarcastically. "I'm just another muggle-born hating Black. I barely even thinking they're people really, I'd burn them at the stake if I could."

Miranda gasped, the sarcasm going over her head.

"I'll have you know some of my best mates are muggle-born!" She cried in outrage.

"Who's that then?" Andromeda asked dryly.

"Ginger Trevant, Charity Burbage, Ted Tonks." Miranda said. "Muggle-borns are some of the nicest people you'd meet, it's a shame you're missing out."

Andromeda had to stop herself from bursting out laughing at the list.

"Come along Caradoc. We don't need this." Miranda declared dragging Caradoc along with her.

"Sorry." Caradoc apologized as his girlfriend forcefully pulled him away.

Andromeda waved him off to assure him it was fine. It seemed that she couldn't win with anyone, the prejudiced purebloods wouldn't like her soon and the pro muggle-born rights people hated her guts already. She supposed there was no happy medium.

She wasn't left to worry about the lack of people willing to be her friend for long, however, as the presentation ceremony commenced and girls in white dress robes began emerging with their fathers on their arms. Andromeda watch shrewdly, examining each girls' walk, face, the way they carried themselves as they walked out to see what and who Martha would be competing with in the coming season. She knew that if Martha didn't get a good match then she would be held personally responsible. It was important, therefore, to keep tabs on all the other girls who would be after the top boys.

Finally, Martha was called and Andromeda watched with a sense of worry as the curvy, flirty girl came walking out. Dress robes hanging attractively off her figure Martha made her way through the crowd with her father as Mr. Selwyn, the host of the event, read her family's honors and positions. Andromeda examined her walk, bearable but by no means perfect, however she had dropped the stupid hip swivel she had been using at the start of the week, she glanced at her shoulder and her chin, keeping track of the position of everything as Martha made her way down. She smiled to herself, congratulating herself slightly at a job not done horribly. Martha might be able to get an offer to by the end of the season after all, where she stood now at least. Andromeda wasn't done yet, however, and by the time the proper season rolled around she was confident Martha would be the cream of the crop, even if Martha hated her for it.

Whenever Andromeda put her might to something, she made it happen, and she'd make Martha a perfect, desirable lady if it killed her, past transgressions aside, and if it managed to help her gain some favor with her mother then that certainly wouldn't hurt either.

* * *

><p>"May I have this dance?" Theodore Nott asked interrupting the conversation Andromeda was having with Juniper.<p>

"Are you trying to pick a fight?" Andromeda replied, barely looking up.

"I'd prefer just a dance." Theodore commented. "I guess I could take a fight too though."

"Not with me, with Walden." Andromeda said with a roll of her eyes.

"Walden's not here." Theodore pointed out surprising Andromeda.

"He's not?" Andromeda asked, looking around for him and finding he was nowhere to be found.

"No, he's on some mission for the Dark Lord." Theodore explained. "You know what they say, when Walden's away, Andromeda and Theodore can play."

"I don't think anyone's said that ever." Andromeda said dryly.

"Then they should, because we all know you like me better than Walden." Theodore commented confidently.

"You're both pretty low on my list after the stunt you pulled at Christmas." Andromeda replied.

"You mean when I broke Walden's nose?" Theodore asked in confusion.

"No, I enjoyed that part." Andromeda allowed. "It was more the rest of it."

"Well, my apologies." Theodore apologized. "Perhaps I could make it up to you with a dance?"

Andromeda looked around unsurely for a moment, assessing what the reactions would be of the purebloods in attendance.

"Just one." She said finally, allowing Theodore to take her arm.

"One's all I need." He replied with a smile, escorting Andromeda onto the dance floor.

They began to dance, Theodore's hand placed lightly on Andromeda's waist and her's on his shoulder, and as they did Theodore began to talk to her lowly so as not to be overheard. Andromeda began to wonder if he hadn't wanted to dance with her at all, or simply to get her somewhere where they could talk privately.

"Forgive me if I'm being too forward," he began, whispering in Andromeda's ear, "but I've been curious for well over a year now, why Walden?"

"He asked first." Andromeda answered with a shrug. "Moreover, he asked my father first and my father didn't know that anyone else would be asking."

"You did though." Theodore pointed out.

"I did." Andromeda agreed. "However, I hadn't had the chance to tell my father yet. Season wasn't quite over yet and I didn't expect Walden to ask so soon. My father was too busy to attend most of the functions last year because of the mess at the Ministry with all the missing wizards, what with the Knights just forming, so he didn't know all the stuff that had gone down."

"So if you had told him in time, would it have been different?" Theodore inquired. "You don't have to ask if you don't want to, I'm just curious."

Andromeda wasn't sure if she could answer, she hadn't had much of an opinion then, she hadn't much cared who she ended up with, her opinion on any difference there could have been was affected by hindsight now, Theodore certainly seemed the better choice than Walden, but she couldn't fairly say she'd known that then. So she fell back on what was quite possibly becoming her mantra, with how often she uttered it.

"I don't know. It's complicated." She answered at last. "Last year I didn't really care, I wouldn't have been able to tell him who I preferred. He may have chosen differently certainly, but I can't say for sure since I'm not him. I don't know who he holds in higher esteem, you or Walden."

"You have an opinion now though?" Theodore asked softly.

"Yes." Andromeda answered.

"What might that be?" He inquired.

This was, of course, unbeknownst to him, a loaded question. She had a lot of opinions now, most of which didn't involve Theodore or Walden, and any opinion she had regarding the two was muddled by the ever present conundrum of Ted Tonks. If she had to choose which of the two she'd rather marry, Ted aside, she'd easily pick Theodore, but she couldn't take Ted out of the equation that easily. At least, not where they stood now. However, if she had to choose which of the two she'd rather abandon to run off like some crazy person, abandoning her family and her life, something she could never really seriously consider, then she'd prefer it to be Walden. He seemed like he'd be able to get on with his life better.

Her life was one big muddled mess, which was why she preferred not to pry at it with question, but rather ignore it and hope the mess would go away, slowly work itself out if it could. To her misfortune, however, the rest of the world had not gotten the memo and she was thus left trying to explain to Theodore Nott, in the simplest of words, her opinion on who she would most like to marry.

"I don't think I should tell you." She said at last, in an attempt to evade the question.

"Due to the fact that it may hurt my feelings?" Theodore clarified.

"Due to the fact that it may inflame them." Andromeda replied, biting her lip.

This was not the best thing to say, she noted, as a glimmer of hope seemed to alight in Theodore's eyes. Hope was not anything that should be associated with Andromeda at the moment, but then, much like not asking prying, life muddling question, Theodore had failed to get the memo.

"So it's me then?" He clarified.

"Well it's not Walden." Andromeda retorted.

A smile spread on Theodore's face and Andromeda felt like the worst person in the world. Theodore and Walden weren't bad guys, not really, and she didn't much like toying with their emotions like this. More often than not she just wished the two could forget about her, but wishes rarely came true.

"It's not too late you know." Theodore offered.

"Are you suggesting we run away together?" Andromeda asked dryly.

If she was running away with anyone, not that she was, it wouldn't be Theodore.

"No, don't be ridiculous." Theodore said with a laugh. "You and Walden aren't married yet and I haven't offered my hand to any other girls, if you and both had a talk with your father, separately of course, then your engagement could easily be undone and ours could be announced. Call it human error, call it love, call it whatever you want, it happens more often than you'd think."

"After you mother threw a fit I don't think mine would go for it." Andromeda pointed out.

"Don't be silly, that's all water under the bridge." Theodore said with a shake of his head.

Andromeda was quite sure it wasn't water under the bridge, her mother held a grudge longer than anyone she knew, and she could say that from personal experience.

"The MacNairs won't be happy." Andromeda continued.

"So?" Theodore asked. "If you haven't discovered I don't care what the MacNairs think than you've been a little out of it."

"Some of us don't have a feud with them ongoing." Andromeda replied. "I don't want to be some pawn in your stupid power battle."

"You would never be." Theodore assured, looking slightly hurt at the suggestion. "Don't you remember who was interested in you first?"

Andromeda had all but forgotten, in the dramatic season that was last year, but Theodore had a point. It had been him who had come up to her first, asked her to dance, shown up to all of her family teas and balls, it was until a week or two after Theodore had already started his pursuit that Walden had showed up seemingly interested. Maybe it was Walden who was using Andromeda as the pawn; it'd make more sense certainly, considering that it was the MacNairs that hated the Notts more than the Notts hating the MacNairs.

"That's a good point." Andromeda said a hint of surprise in her voice. "I'd never thought of that before."

"See." Theodore replied as though this was all he needed to convince her to abandon her current engagement. "Walden's a jerk, he doesn't really care. He's just using you to get to me, because I actually like you. I have done for a while."

"As…as flattering as that is I can't just abandon my engagement and risk making the MacNairs mad." Andromeda said. "I have enough people who dislike me; I don't need to add more."

"It's the perfect time though!" Theodore exclaimed. "With this new season starting Walden can find a girl who actually like him back, and who he won't go after just as some ploy. Plus the Notts are more prestigious of a family than the MacNairs, much better fit for a Black."

"I don't know." Andromeda said reluctantly.

Theodore looked at her imploringly, as if wondering what else he could say to convince her to drop Walden like an old hat and go with him instead. There wasn't much though, she needed time to think on it, time to think on everything. There was an absence of all the time that Andromeda needed to figure out her life where it was, but Theodore didn't know all of that. He just thought she was a simple pureblood girl, and he a pureblood boy.

"You don't have to decide now." He continued, catching on to her uncertainty. "Think on it for these last three months that you have school, you can talk to your father when you get back from school if you change your mind, let me know if you do or you don't, and that'll still give Walden enough time to move on. Three months should be enough time."

"All right." Andromeda agreed. "That sounds fair, if I choose to stay with Walden though you need to promise me you'll move on."

"I promise." Theodore said. "You won't though, I'll make sure of it."

The song ended and Theodore thanked Andromeda for the dance, Andromeda curtsied and they parted ways. Theodore with hope in his heart and a smile on his face, Andromeda even more uncertain than before. There was one perk that Andromeda could bet on, however, if she picked Theodore over Walden, and that was that it could get her out of having to come up with a new excuse not to sleep with Walden, in face, she'd never even have to kiss him again. Theodore wouldn't pressure her, she was quite sure, if the way he claimed to feel was true, and at the very least she could explain away any issue with the fact that the engagement was too new. It could solve one problem, at least, if she went along with Theodore's plan, even if it only cause so many more.

Whatever she did, one thing was clear and that was that she had a lot of thinking to do and now she only had three months to figure it all out. Going back to school the next day suddenly seemed much more stressful than she had originally imagined.

* * *

><p><strong>Ted's name has been revealed to actually be Edward so he will be referred to as thus for the remainder of the fic. (I've already gone back and fixed it.)<strong>


	18. Chapter Eighteen

The twenty-fifth of April was a happy day for most everyone who experienced it. It was a pleasant temperature, not too hot and not too cold, and most of the students found for the first time since September they could walk about the castle grounds without a jacket, although some still bore a light jumper. The twenty-fifth of April was a happy day most importantly for Ted Tonks, who was turning seventeen that day. He woke up with a smile on his face, received presents from his various friends and family, acquired very little homework in his classes, and in general had a very good day.

The only low spot in his day was that he could not go up to his girlfriend in public, have her wish him the customary 'Happy Birthday', and so on. He chatted with Charity and Xenophilius in his various classes throughout the day, laughing as Andromeda sat with Elvendork and Juniper a few seats away, occasionally making faces at Ted when Juniper and Elvendork were distracted. It wasn't until that evening that the two were able to meet up, in obscure, less used, part of the library. He was beginning to wonder where she was, Andromeda was very rarely late and rather usually early, when a voice came from behind him, startling.

"All right, are you ready?" Andromeda inquired excitement evident on his face. "You ought to be because I am about to blow your mind."

"Literally?" Ted asked skeptically.

"What? No. That would be a horrible birthday present." Andromeda replied. "Why would I literally blow your mind? That makes no sense."

"You're a weird bird." Ted said with a shrug.

"Insulting me won't make me give you your present faster." Andromeda retorted. "It makes me want to give it to you less. Which is too bad for you because it is mind-blowing."

"I repeat, literally?" Ted replied.

"You're impossible." Andromeda said with a shake of her head. "I give up. Here, Happy Birthday."

"Wow, you're right, you giving up _was _mind-blowing. What a present." Ted remarked.

"I hate you." Andromeda told him at once.

"Well that's certainly not true." Ted disagreed.

"Just open your present, Edward." Andromeda ordered. "Otherwise I'll just keep it for myself and then you'll regret your life choices."

"It's _that _great?" Ted inquired.

"I said it was mind-blowing, didn't I?" Andromeda replied. "It's pretty great."

She handed him the wrapped quaffle, and Ted turned it around in his hands still in the wrapping, peering at in confusion.

"It's customary to actually open the present you know." Andromeda pointed out. "Unless if you're befuddlement is at the actually capable wrapping. I know it's a surprise to you that someone can wrap a present without covering it in tape."

"Actually I am pretty impressed you could wrap something spherical this perfectly." Ted commented. "I was trying to figure out what it is though."

"I am a gifted woman, what can I say." Andromeda said modestly. "Generally when one wants to know what the present is they open it. Just a piece of advice for you there."

"Who's impossible now?" Ted inquired.

"Let me check." Andromeda said, pausing to think for a bit. "No, it's still you."

"I think you're meant to be _nice _to me on my birthday." Ted pointed out.

"I gave up earlier, didn't I?" Andromeda remarked. "That's probably as nice as it gets."

Ted shook his head and began to unwrap his present, an easy task considering the spared usage of tape and perfect wrapping job. It wasn't long before the quaffle sat in front of him, wrapping paper on the floor. Ted stared at it, turning it over in his hands and reading the various names, I shocked expression on his face.

"Oh my God." He exclaimed, in his shock slipping into the expletive of his youth. "How did you even _get _this?"

"It was pretty easy really. I met the Cannons-." Andromeda began to explain.

"You met the Cannons!?" Ted interrupted in excitement, leaning forward. "What were they like? Are they as cool in person?"

"Yes." Andromeda answered with a bemused roll of her eyes. "I was at the match between them and the Falcons-."

"You were _there_?" Ted cut off again. "I was listening to that on the radio! How awesome did it look when Cecily Cartwright caught the snitch?"

"Honestly I thought she was going to die." Andromeda replied. "She was hurtling towards the ground it was terrifying."

"That was the first time she'd caught the snitch in some odd years, you know." Ted continued, stating facts as though her were reading them off the back of a player card. "All but saved her career with that one. Did you know they were thinking of changing the motto of the Cannons? What with their losing streak and all. I think that match, the one you were at, might change their minds about it. Important moment in their history, that was."

"They lost." Andromeda reminded.

"Yes, they lost but they caught the snitch." Ted stressed. "They haven't been that close to winning in _years_. It's going to make the bored seriously rethink all that nonsense of changing the powerful motto of 'We shall conquer' to 'Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best'. What sort of nonsense is that anyways? That doesn't inspire victory in anyone's hearts!"

"My team won." Andromeda offered smugly.

"Bugger your team." Ted replied.

"Don't be mad at me because you had to root for the underdog Ted." Andromeda said.

"Thank you." Ted replied with a smile.

"Well that was a non sequitur." Andromeda commented, blinking in surprise.

"I had only just realized I hadn't said it." Ted explained with a shrug. "And I really ought to because this is probably the best gift anyone has ever gotten me."

"Damn, now I've set your expectations too high." Andromeda observed. "I'm going to have to outdo a signed Quaffle and I don't think anyone _can _outdo that. At the very least all my presents will only be a disappointment from here on out."

Ted looked at the quaffle then back to Andromeda and gave a nod.

"Well you really should have thought that one through." He said finally.

"I'm pretty sure that's not what you're meant to say." Andromeda said with a snort. "You're meant to say some codswallop about how you'll love everything I give you and it's the thought that counts."

"I'm nothing if not honest." Ted stated instead, looking Andromeda dead in the eye.

"Bollocks." Andromeda cursed. "You're welcome anyhow. I should have just gotten you a Beater's Bible or something."

"I'm not even a Beater." Ted pointed out. "That would have been a useless present."

"Exactly." Andromeda replied.

Ted let out a laugh and shook his head.

"Really though, thank you." Ted repeated. "Best present I've ever gotten probably."

"We've established that's the problem, yes." Andromeda replied.

"Yeah, but it doesn't really matter if the rest of the presents aren't as good as this one. I'll always think about how you gave me that one phenomenal present so the rest could be complete duds and I'd still think you were the coolest person ever." Ted offered.

"Ah, there's the codswallop I was talking about before." Andromeda remarked.

"It's not codswallop. I told you, I'm nothing if not honest." Ted replied taking a step closer to Andromeda, who was standing with her back towards the book case.

"Uh…okay." Andromeda offered intelligibly, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden closeness.

"Thank you." Ted repeated his face now mere inches from Andromeda's.

"You're welcome." Andromeda replied softly.

Ted smiled to himself before pressing his lips against her's, thereby pushing Andromeda against the bookcase behind her. The quaffle dropped from his grasp, rolling onto the ground momentarily forgotten, as he placed a hand on her hip, the other threading through her hair. The quaffle sat, a silent witness, as the two teenagers, secretive as they were, enjoyed an act which they did not often get to take part in in public. The two enjoyed each other's company, for once, in complete silence.

* * *

><p>"Andromeda." A voice called in the hallway some weeks later, causing Andromeda to turn around in confusion.<p>

"Oh, hullo Arthur." Andromeda greeted. "I'm not meant to speak to you in…public."

"Thanks." Arthur commented. "Mean a lot really."

"Sorry." Andromeda apologized. "You know what I mean though."

Arthur shrugged and began walking in front of Andromeda, giving off the impression that she was meant to follow him. With a roll of her eyes Andromeda followed Arthur towards an empty classroom. Once she had entered, a minute or two after Arthur, she closed the door and looked at him impatiently.

"Yes?" She inquired.

"I've got a favor I need to ask of you." Arthur said skipping the pleasantries, aware they didn't have much time before people got suspicious.

"That's nice." Andromeda replied. "Tell me what it is and I'll see if it's something I want to do."

"Lovely as always, Andromeda." Arthur commented with a sigh. "I thought you were pleasant now?"

"To my mates." Andromeda concluded. "You barely speak to me though, so favors and niceties don't really come with the territory."

It was true; the two were not as close as the others Andromeda had come to know that year. Though she and Molly had grown incredibly close over the time, Arthur and Andromeda were left at it odds by their pureblood nature. There was a stigma that they could not quite get passed, that put them off from properly being friends, and while they could chat amiably if they ended up within the same group, one on one they were never quite as friendly or great chums.

"I'm aware we're not exactly pals." Arthur allowed. "But I do think you'll do me this favor."

"Why's that then?" Andromeda inquired politely, vaguely annoyed at this whole thing.

"First of all, because it's the right thing to do." Arthur said, counting off on his fingers. "Second of all, and I really hate to pull this because I hope you'll be able to see it and agree without me having to force you, you _do _owe me one."

"What are you-bollocks." Andromeda began in confusion before, suddenly she remembered.

She did, in fact, owe Arthur a favor. One she had almost entirely forgotten about in the rest of her year, but Arthur, it seemed, had not. Andromeda wondered to herself how long Arthur had been holding onto this favor, biding his time until something came up that he would want. She wondered what it was exactly that he wanted.

"What is it then?" She inquired, curiosity getting the better of her.

His answer came, as she knew it would come, in the form she knew it would come, and she couldn't help but agree, as he explained, really and properly, all the things she herself had thought and felt, and denied. Hearing it from another voice though, hearing it from this lanky, freckled, ginger boy who she had been told time and time and again wasn't even worth a dime of her thoughts, only confirmed everything she had known, everything she knew, everything she had tried to ignore. And it wasn't so much a favor of her, a favor Arthur need from her, it was a favor for _him_, because it wasn't fair what she was doing, not to anyone, not to her, not to Walden, not to Theodore, and most of all not to _him_.

Because she hadn't earned it, she didn't deserve it, it wasn't her's by divine right, it was messed up, wrong, it didn't belong in the world of purebloods and muggle-borns, where everyone fit in their nice little boxes and they stayed in them. She had wanted more, maybe, more than the box could allow for her, and she had glimpsed it and selfishly grabbed at it, thinking it was owed to her. Why had she thought that? Because she was unhappy? Because her family was crumbling and her thoughts were muddled and she was maybe just a bit too smart for the lot she had been given in life? But wasn't that all her fault in the first place? It wasn't fair, it never had been, to drag _him _down into it, in her own selfish desire to climb herself back out, it hadn't been fair to anyone, least of all herself, most of all _him _for her to reach up and taste the forbidden fruit thinking, so, _so _irrationally that it could all be all right, that it'd go back to normal when she'd had her fill. It wouldn't, it couldn't, it never would, and her own selfish need had made her overlook what was so blatantly wrong with the whole situation.

Arthur knew it, she knew it, and she wondered vaguely if _he _knew it. He had to, how could he not? Everyone could see it and she had been living some, some ridiculous _lie _she'd been telling herself to make it all right and she didn't really deserve what she had taken so selfishly for herself, not really, and now all she could do was try and return it, apologize, condone, give back what she had stolen and hope it would be all right. It wouldn't but the least she could do was try. Try as a favor to herself, as a favor to Arthur who was quite possibly the only one who got how wrong it was, because he too had outreached, taken something he had not quite deserved, but he had realized too late that he had selfishly, oh so selfishly, done it and then damage had been done, and they'd have to live with their choices, and they would be all right, but it wasn't fair for Andromeda to commit the same sin Arthur had done. Because _he _deserved more, and as Arthur so often reasoned _she _deserved more, but he hadn't realized it then, so he was trying to help Andromeda to realize it now, before it was too late.

She could return her stolen good damaged, get store credit, or maybe a coupon, and it was damaged so maybe it wouldn't quite ever be the same, but there was a place for damaged thing and someone later, much later, would pick it up, _him _up and treat him right, and he deserved that. He deserved it most of all undamaged, for someone to come along nicely and bring him along, new and unused, but she had messed up and been selfish and she had ruined that for him, but it wasn't too _too _late. There was still hope that maybe, just maybe, if she undid it now, and followed through, that she could move, more importantly _he _could move on, and all she had to do was what she had been trying to do all along, listen to Arthur.

Because when you loved someone, really properly loved them, you let them go. That's what she had to do, and she didn't want it to come back, not deep, deep down where her true, unselfish desires roamed, she didn't want it to love her so much that it would come back, because it, _he_, deserved better than her. She wasn't fit to play knights and princesses with his sort when she was really only the stable girl. For once, in some odd turn of events, she and Arthur understood each other, they were the same, they had outstepped themselves and messed up, but she could fix it, maybe for both of them, and the least she could do was _try_.

So when the words came, she already knew what they were going to be, and she already knew that she would have to do it, that she would do it. That she would set him free as he deserved to be, because it was only right. What she had done was wrong, she didn't need the explanation or the reasoning, though Arthur provided it, all she needed was for someone else to say it. Say the words that she had been thinking every night and every day, the words that had haunted her every thought when she had, oh so selfishly, outreached herself and plucked the fruit, and Arthur did. He said it and he made it happen, and maybe he had been responsible all along and he just had to fix it, or maybe he was looking out for a friend, or maybe he just wanted retribution, forgiveness for what he had done, but whatever the reason he said it and he was responsible for all the repercussions that would come late, much late, when she did it.

It was Arthur and Andromeda, two noble names, two noble people, who executed and plotted the plan, two people who, for whatever reason, didn't quite think they were worthy of the people they had taken and made fall in love for them, two people who wanted to right some wrong that seemed to exist only in their minds, and two people who understood each other more than possibly anyone else in that school, though they seemed to deny the words.

So he said the words, and she did it, not thinking what could possibly happen next, because it was, in their minds, only right. Even if for the other parties involved it was only wrong.

"I need you to do me a favor." Arthur repeated, taking a deep breath in preparation, though he held no idea the actual weight his next words would hold. "I need you to break up with Ted."

And so, later, though not much later, Andromeda would, and she did.

* * *

><p>It was a windy day, a day in May, nondescript in its weather or its classes. It wasn't the day that, by some sheer luck Hufflepuff had managed to beat Slytherin, it wasn't the day that Hunter Friedrichson finally chose Winifred Appleby over Fiona, ending the year long dispute to everyone's relief, it wasn't the day that Ted passed his apparition exam or the day that, by some sheer luck, Sean Albain had finally managed to pass his. It wasn't notable in any way, shape, or form. The students woke up, attended class, and then went to sleep with nary a consequential thought in between.<p>

It was a day; however, that Ted Tonks could remember every detail of. A wise man had once written in some odd terms that the day something traumatic happens, for instance, the day someone dies, one tends to remember every minute detail, from what they had for breakfast to how the hair on their arms stood up just slightly as they stood outside. Much like Gene Forrester, and Brinker Hadley before him, Ted remember everything from that day, long past his thirtieth birthday, even until the day that he died, he remember the way the wind whipped at his scarf as he made his way to Herbology, how he had had oatmeal and raisins for breakfast as Logan Saunders discussed the girl he had been with last night, a blonde, tasty morsel who had legs that went on and on and on.

Ted had, in a moment of clarity a month or two later as he blared 'Build Me Up Buttercup' for the twentieth time in his own home to the annoyance of his younger sister, finally realized what exactly John Knowles had been on about in that book of his he'd been forced to read in primary school. He'd never quite understood the idea of Gene recalling every single bit of the day that Finny had finally, really it was finally Ted had never been much for reading and he had hated that book something dreadful, died. He got it though, after this fateful, windy day in May. He'd later read that book several times, stealing it from his younger brother even, to gleam some sort of understanding of this one, almost insignificant idea mentioned.

He remembered, to his continued dismay, everything about that day.

And so did, though she refused to mention it even as Ted managed to bring himself to cracking jokes about it many, many years late, Andromeda.

It started out innocently enough, Andromeda happened upon Ted in the hallway, it had been a day or two since she'd talked to Arthur and she had perhaps been avoiding Ted, though she refused to admit it, in an attempt to put it off. She knew she _had _to do it, that it was only right, but Arthur could not hold her accountable if she hadn't seen Ted in all that time. It wasn't her fault really if she didn't see Ted, she didn't exactly control whether or not she ran into him.

She had even considered, as ridiculous as it was, to turn around and walk the other way as though she hadn't seen him as their eyes met in the hallway that fateful day, but he waved and she waved back, a slight little motion, and by then it was much too late to do anything about it. Taking a deep breath Andromeda marched towards Ted, the faint smell of peaches hanging mysteriously in the air, and indicated for him to follow her into a deserted class room.

Not, by any means, the same classroom she had regretfully followed Arthur into those few days before, life was not as pretty and coincidental as that, but perhaps the classroom that she had followed Ted into all those months ago on her birthday, when he gave her the bracelet that still sat upon her wrist, resting there every day since he had given it to her. Or perhaps, the same class room where Andromeda had fought Evan Rosier and his chums singlehandedly, the night that Travers had gone to the Knights meeting leaving her alone, the last patrol she had done alone before she had taken up with Ted as a partner.

Maybe, even, one of the classrooms the prefects had met in when Persimmon had attacked Andromeda, before Ted had forced her to forgive her in an act of kindness, a tale which had grown to encompass an entire bear. It was hard to tell, really, after six years in one place all the classrooms began to look the same and those instances, as prevalent or important as they had been in pushing the two students together, shaping their lives, did not stand out so strongly as they once had. This classroom, however, remained in their mind clearly. Andromeda would later take to avoiding it, skipping classes or turning up late just so she would not have to walk past it, Ted looking forlornly at it occasionally as he chatted with classmates, just a quick little look, an acknowledgement. It was there, _there_, where everything had really gone wrong.

"No longer ignoring me then?" Ted asked jovially as soon as the door shut.

Though he wished, many times over during the summer as he continued to blast 'Build Me Up Buttercup' that she hadn't stopped ignoring him, or that he had said something better, less happy, because none of this was happy and the idea that, at any point in the day he had seemed even slightly cheerful, was too wrong to be true.

"You're going to wish I hadn't." Andromeda told him cryptically.

She had been right, but at that time Ted could only muster up confusion.

"Pardon?" He inquired, half paying attention to the conversation at hand, amused at the notion that he had picked up some of her colloquialisms in their short time together.

"I have to say something." Andromeda said taking a deep breath.

"Then say it Dromeda, I've got Herbology next." Ted replied a small confused smile breaking onto his face as he began to realize this was more than just Andromeda's regular teasing.

Not that he would ever make it. He had Herbology next and he would be late he reasoned as he watched Andromeda's mental preparations. Afterwards however, Herbology would be the last thing on his mind. He would walk outside, as though he was heading there, but he would never make it. He'd take a turn, towards the left, and just keep walking until he hit the lake. Then he would stop, only by the rational unexpected thought that it was too cold, and just stand there. Stand there until Arthur came, who would claim later, upon further questioning, that he had seen him and had been worried. Arthur wouldn't arrive until night though, a little after dinner, and Ted would walk out of that room at precisely two twenty-five, a glance at his watch almost instinctively had told him that, and he would stand there in the wind, getting whipped by the occasional spray of water for three or four hours just standing. Thinking. Wishing. Hoping.

"I don't want to." Andromeda muttered, mostly to herself.

"Well, now I'm curious and you've got to." Ted replied. "It'd be rude to just up and leave now, I'll be wondering about it all day."

It was strange, he would speculate months later as his hi-fi begged for a girl not to build him up only to let him down, that he had been the one that prompted the whole thing. That it was possible Andromeda would never had done it, never had said it if he hadn't told her she had to, only so he wouldn't be curious. It was very likely she would have chickened out or at least put off until it no longer seemed necessary, if he hadn't just been so darn curious. Sometimes, most of the time if he was being honest, Ted hated his own curiosity.

Andromeda shook her head and sat on the desk, leaning against it really, and glanced up at him with this look that bore all the sadness in the world. A look that seemed to express what was going to happen before she said it, but Ted, happy fellow as he was, never a sad moment in his life, smiled at her in response.

"Cheer up Dromeda. It can't be that bad." He offered words of wisdom he had thought, something that would make it all okay.

Ironically, though he would never fully appreciate it, these were the words that would be spat back at him over and over again as he sat in his room staring at a quaffle covered with signatures trying to make sense of the world. 'Cheer up Ted, it can't be that bad' would be intoned at him so often that he would hear it in his dreams. But it was that bad, it was worse really, and no amount of smiles or cheerful phrases would fix it.

"Just, don't hate me." Andromeda said finally, looking at the floor, unable to look at Ted really.

Her gaze would stare there for the rest of the conversation, at that one spot on the floor, and Ted wondered more than once as he looked back what had been so goddamn interesting about that spot anyhow. What was more interesting about that spot than looking him in the bloody eyes and say it like she meant it, like it was actually the right thing to do and not something she had just convinced herself of to appease her of some odd, misplaced guilt.

"I could never hate you." Ted offered, smile still on his face, stronger now.

Except he could, and he would, he would hate her so much it hurt. He'd hate her more than he hated anyone, possibly, he would curse her name and throw her quaffle and rip up her letters in a fit of pure hate. He didn't know, then however, the span of emotions a human could feel, the span of emotions he would feel.

Andromeda shook her head once more and Ted reflected, a week or two later as Charity quietly inquired what was wrong, concerned by the fact that Ted had been staring at the wall for well over an hour, unblinking, that this was the moment that he knew what was going to happen. Deep, deep down he understood what was about to transpire between the two, but he hadn't quite caught up with the understanding and so he stood there waiting expectantly a stupid smile still on his face.

"I want to break up with you." Andromeda said finally and the world burned.

Perhaps, not literally, but it seemed as thus to Ted. Apart of the world burned, anyhow, a part of Ted's. Ted had always been a happy child. His sisters had hit him at times, he had fallen down the stairs, broken his wrist, and still he never cried. He was an optimist by nature, happy and friendly and giving out smiles as though they were flowers. Even as a baby he'd rarely cried or seemed sad.

When Ted had failed English at the age of ten, coincidentally the year that he had been forced to read the same book that he would later steal and read hunting for words of wisdom, he hadn't been upset, those he mother had seemed insist on reminding him that it was okay. He had understood, even then, that there were more important things. When Ted had broken his wrist when he was seven he laughed and thought it was a funny story. When anything bad had happened to Ted he had managed to laugh it off, but not this time, for some strange, inexplicable reason Ted could not shake this off.

Ted had liked Andromeda since fifth year. It was a known fact, only Charity really had cottoned on, and maybe it was barely even relevant to what would later transpire between the two, but the fact stood that Ted had known Andromeda well before Andromeda knew Ted and he had always thought, somewhere, that they would probably be good together.

It was an irrelevant day in March, so irrelevant Andromeda will later complete forget the interaction at all, and Ted was making his way to Potions. Andromeda and Bellatrix had still been inseparable then, the Knights were still but a blurb of conversation, an inkling of something Bellatrix had heard whispered and not yet something that had caught her curiosity, they had been walking towards their separate classes, Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts though Ted was unaware, and Ted, clumsy bloke that he was, made the mistake of tripping on his shoelace into Bellatrix.

Books had scattered, Bellatrix had gone down, Ted had, innocently enough offered a hand to help up, one Bellatrix would spit on. Ted helped to collect the books and hand them back to her as Bellatrix picked herself up, having whipped the spit onto his trouser leg, and attempted to give them to a fuming Bellatrix.

"Who said a Mudblood like you could touch my books let alone me?" Bellatrix had spat, taking her books violently from Ted and causing him to wobble unsteadily.

"Sorry." Ted apologized, smiling through the hateful words, waiting as he always did when faced like people like that, for the curses to end and to be left in peace.

"Your sorry isn't worth the dirt on my shoes." Bellatrix remarked, turning around and striding away. "Andromeda, come along."

Ted expected, from experience more than anything, for the pretty brunette with the same hair and the same grey eyes, though less lidded and angry, to follow behind her sister, perhaps sending one of his books flying down the stairs as she went by, but Ted was, though not often the case, pleasantly surprised.

Andromeda bent down and picked up his books quickly, sending a glance up at Bellatrix who had not yet noticed her sister's lagging behind, and handed them to Ted, a slight smile, barely noticeable, etching onto her kind face as she handed his books to him.

"Sorry about her." She said with a slight shake of her head. "She doesn't know."

And as she got up and sped off to rejoin her sister, hoping that she hadn't noticed that she had stayed behind, Ted had been left wondering to himself what, exactly, Bellatrix didn't know that Andromeda did.

He had puzzled over that idea for a while, and the more he thought the more the more Charity began to notice, she mistook his curiosity for fancy and began to tease him, trying to explain to him how impossible and unlikely the whole thing was, but it had been more than that, it wasn't fancy it was curiosity. Andromeda had posed a question which she refused to answer, and after that day she would barely look at him so garnering an explanation would be nigh impossible.

Until she had sat next to him during the first prefect meeting of the year and used the term Muggle-born rather than Mudblood. Until she had sat next to him in Transfiguration and continued talking to him even though she maintained that she shouldn't. Until she started conversation with him during their patrol in an attempt to ease some silence. Until she had kissed him. Until she had said yes.

Then, and only then, piece by piece, he had understood what Bellatrix didn't know that Andromeda did. And that was why he couldn't leave her alone, that was why he was so insistent upon getting her to very him as person rather than dirt, because he realized that Bellatrix didn't know but Andromeda did, even if she didn't know that she knew. It had been a simple answer really, one Ted could have figured out if he had really thought it over, but the answer seemed so unlikely that he had ruled it out.

He hadn't listened to Sherlock Holmes, though he had listened to that radio adaptation almost every time it had been on since he had been in the womb basically, that when all other factors had been eliminated that then whatever remained, no matter how improbable, had to be the truth. And once again, Sherlock had been proven true.

_Because Bellatrix didn't know, but Andromeda did_.

And somewhere along the line between trying to puzzle it out he had, true to Charity's constant teasing, begun to fancy her. Charity had always had a knack for being right about that stuff, to Ted's annoyance. And Ted's fancy had turned into something more, even if he didn't want to admit it, he really didn't at that particularly moment, and so when she said those words, those seven simple words, his world began to burn.

"April fools was last month, Dromeda." Ted joked, pleaded really, trying still to remain that same smiling guy, the guy who was never sad and never cried.

It was a last ditch attempt to get back to normal, give her away out to take back what she had done, all she had to do was say 'oh, my mistake, I always get May and April confused' or some rubbish like that and it'd be okay. Andromeda didn't take the bait though, as much as she wanted to, and she shook her head again, still staring at the floor, because if she looked up and saw that desperate look in Ted's eyes as he weakly laughed she _would _break down and take it back so she stared at that spot and she kept saying the words, striking a match with each syllable and watching the world she and ted had carefully constructed, their safe little happy world, burn.

"I'm not joking." She said, almost emotionless. "We need to break up. It's not…safe. For you."

Ted stared at her in disbelief. In shock. And he continued to stare as the feeble excuses tumbled out. The half made up lines about pureblood and muggle-borns and her family and his and the risk he was taking. Her constant repetition that it was for him, all for him, better for him, safer for him, but if it was for him why didn't _he _get to decide? It seemed, to Ted, that it was more all for her. And that was the moment where the lie came out, where his dumb reassurance that he could never hate her proved false, because in that moment, and many after, he did hate her.

He hated her for being selfish. He hated her for saying yes. He hated her for being a Black, for being tall and pretty and smart and irresistible. He hated her for her principles and the fact that she wouldn't sit on counters or take her shoes off indoors and she always, always, said mother instead of mum. He hated her pardons and her proper sentences and the fact that she floated rather than walked. He hated that she was this selfish, this unbelievably selfish, that she could say such words and profess it was all for him when she was only trying to save herself. She didn't care about him, not really, it had all been a lie and when she had said, all those months ago, 'she doesn't know' she didn't mean Bellatrix, who she meant, without even knowing it was _her_.

So he told her that. He told her it all and he broke her heart as much as she was breaking his because it was only fair that if he was going to have to sit around, moping, listening to The Foundations all summer, Lord how he _hated _The Foundations, and reading John Knowles' crappy novel about World War II and preppy rich boys then she was going to have to suffer too.

Andromeda let out a strangled noise, barely noticeable in Ted's hateful monologue, his words had stopped forming and he was spluttering more than anything, but she still refused to look up from that damn spot and he hated her more for it. She made the noise and let out a shaky breath and she began to speak, almost monotone, to the spot.

"It's like…'Anna Karenina', you know?" She offered, speaking rubbish that Ted didn't comprehend. "She and Vronsky, they're _wrong _but they carry on and they ruin everything and everyone's so bloody selfish and Anna wants everything and nothing and….and then she just can't _take _it anymore and she jumps in front of that train and I don't _want _to jump in front of a train, Ted. It's _messy_ and I hate mess. I don't want to be Anna and I don't want you to be Vronsky, but we're not Kitty and Levin and we're not Dolly and Stiva, we're Anna and Vronsky and it won't end _well_. It'll end in you trying to go out on the front line, because you can't even…you can't even fucking _kill _yourself right and I'm going to step in front of the bloody train and oh Merlin, _Frou Frou."_

"You're not making sense." Ted declared in annoyance. "I've never even _read '_Anna Karenina' I don't know what you're on about.

"Neither do we, Ted." Andromeda said staring at her spot as tears made their way down her cheeks. "We don't make sense. We're Anna and Vronsky and it doesn't work out so really we ought to save everyone the trouble."

Ted shook his head and Andromeda stood up, wiping a hand across her face to get rid of the tears.

"I'm going to go." She said.

"You don't mean it." Ted decided, grabbing her arm as she took a step towards the door. "We're not some rubbish Russian book by some dead guy, we're _people_. Things don't actually play out that way."

Andromeda shook her head, still staring at the floor, giving no answer, no response, she had given up. She had said her piece and she was prepared to let Ted rain down on her until he had said his, because she knew it was going to happen whether he liked it or not, whether she did, because it was what was right. But then, she deserved the rage and anger because she had led it on and selfishly done what she did and even as she tried to fix it she knew, much as everyone knew when they tried to do the right thing, that no good deed went unpunished.

"Would just _look_ at me?" Ted demanded suddenly unable to say or ask for anything else.

So Andromeda obliged, even though it broke her in more ways to finally acknowledge the pain on his face, she looked at him and matched her grey eyes to his blue, and she looked at him for a minute or two, because if that's all her wanted then as much as it killed her she would oblige, and in that moment Ted understood. All the pain and weight sat in Andromeda's grey eyes, the kind ones that were so unlike her sister's that Ted had noticed since the first day they had met even if Andromeda didn't remember, and for a second, one small second, looking into those eyes he understood. They spoke volumes. They held the secrets of the universe, the secret of how this whole thing would go, but more than that they held hope.

It was barely noticeable, Andromeda was not conscious of it in the least, but looking into her eyes at that moment, a moment so surrounded by heat and emotion, Ted understood everything and he was granted a moment of peace, and he would forget later that day when Arthur came up to him at the Black Lake and broke him out of his trance all that had transpired between those two minutes that Andromeda had stared into his eyes and he had stared back, and he would suffer for it, for forgetting, but deep in his subconscious he remembered that look in her eyes and it was that look that made him able to let go, to walk away.

He dropped her arm, nodded to himself, to her, to something, and said just one little word, on little word that spoke volumes and nothing at all.

"Okay." He said and then turned around and made his way to the door, because he was going to be late to Herbology and he didn't have time to put up with this nonsense.

"Ted." Andromeda said, calling his attention back to her, stopping him at the door. "Here."

She walked up to him and she placed it in his hand, a small, simple little thing, it was still warm from her wrist and the strings tying it together were ragged at the end from wear. Ted grasped it in his hand and kept walking, refusing to look down, and it wasn't until he took the left away from Herbology, standing in front of the Black Lake that he looked down and saw, properly saw, the bracelet he had given her not four months ago for her birthday. It looked sad now, as though it knew what it represented, broken bonds, broken promises, because Andromeda _had _promised, she had said they'd be together for a year at least, she had said it that night Charity had been attacked and she had told him he would be stuck with her but it seemed, Ted reasoned and would continue to reason for the many months that he stared at this bracelet, that she did not want to be stuck with him.

He almost pitched it in the Lake, almost, but something stopped him, something that wouldn't stop him for the next few months, because he still remembered the look in Andromeda's eyes so he knew not to throw it, he still understood, so he tucked it in his pocket and he kept staring out at the lake, waiting. Because all good things come to those who wait and Ted knew that he'd be waiting awhile.

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><p><strong>Updates should become more regular soon. This story will start updating every other Friday though, rather than Wednesday. I'd love it if you reviewed xX<strong>


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Break-ups were, by definition, hard. There was the awkward separation of friends, like picking which child got to go with whom after the divorce, who got what spot by the lake or in the library, simple, silly things, that one did not consider belonged wholly to the couple until after said couple had long since withered away. Traditionally speaking after one has broken up an awkward for weeks were meant to transpire where names were accidentally said, people were accidentally run into, and so on. But for Ted and Andromeda, this did not occur.

Given the abnormal situation that had surrounded their relationship when Andromeda had ended the relationship in a perhaps misguided act of kindness everything had gone to one, Ted Tonks. And he didn't even realize it. Friends, namely Charity Burbage and Hestia Jones of who had always been predominately Ted's, returned to him and ceased communication with Andromeda, she had expected this. Molly Prewett's fragile, growing, friendship had become less of a possibility and more of a general disappointed shake of the head. Andromeda had taken to avoiding her for fear of Molly giving her a piece of her mind.

Arthur Weasley and Andromeda had never been friends, strange considering the fact that Arthur had been a pivotal player in the decimation of Ted and Andromeda, and therefore there was nothing to be missed by means of communication on that front. Xenophilius Lovegood was the only real, neutral party, on the matter, and Andromeda was not entirely sure that he knew precisely what had happened considering his general strange ambivalence and lack of attention he gave the rest of the world.

This left Andromeda in the reluctant company of Elvendork Witherspoon and Juniper Flint, reluctant on her part since Elvendork and Juniper seemed more than happy sitting with her quiet, morose self every meal time. Elvendork and Juniper, for their part, spent most of their time discussing such topics of importance as, to put it delicately, the likely length and width of various Quidditch players' 'wands', be they players on the Hogwarts teams or professional. Andromeda's general silence on the matter had led them to two likely conclusions, that she was either hormonal, or, the one they had decided was more likely considering the continued silence, that she had no interest in Quidditch players.

They were, of course, not privy to the knowledge that the two men that Andromeda had decidedly fancied, Charles Parkinson did not count for he had merely been pre-season husband shopping, as Bellatrix had once proclaimed surprisingly correctly, had both been Quidditch players. Andromeda, of course, had failed to mention her infatuation with Kevin Broadmoor and Edward Tonks and therefore left Elvendork and Juniper in the dark on her rather specific taste in men. Nor did she ever intend to.

On the ground of one Caradoc Dearborn the last round of his and Andromeda's prefect-created relationship occurred only a few days after the break up between her and Ted. It had been, decidedly, and more so than usual considering Caradoc's general aversion to lengthy discussion, silent. With the end of the required patrolling time, so had ended any friendship between the two purebloods. Andromeda had, for a few weeks, wondered idly about whether or not this would have been the case had she not seen sense in the form of Arthur Weasley, but she had long since stopped wasting her time on questions that she would never have the answer to. Like, for instance, what if she hadn't, period?

Ted Tonks had acquired more than just the friends in the break up with Andromeda Black, however. He had also gotten the general happiness, the laughter, a mysterious unsure future and, most importantly to him, a broken heart. Andromeda did not see this important piece of the puzzle, however. Ted had always been one for putting on a brave face, smile when the world seems darkest and brightness will come, and so that was what he had done. It helped, of course, that he had friends who refused to let him obsess over the unfortunate condition of his heart, making him laugh and enjoy life through the ever present pain.

Andromeda was not so lucky.

She did not show it, of course, a Black did not show weakness, and she could not appear any different than she had before without risking arousing suspicion to her egregious temporary lapse of sanity. She seemed generally the same as she always had, cool, detached, generally uninterested in Quidditch players, but that did not mean that on the inside she was not suffering. Her forced isolation from others meant that she did not have people to distract her from her own broken heart, and the knowledge that it was self-inflicted, something she could easily have avoided by not throwing logic out the window all those months ago, meant that rumination over the pain was an almost constant thing for her. At least, when she was not in class.

Class was, as it always had been to the girl who adored education, a time of peace for her. Pouring herself into books and spells and potions provided a relief from the constant hammering of all the things she said and done that had led to this horrible, irreversible point in her life. So, rather than think of 'what ifs' and 'had nots', Andromeda had poured herself into her studies. Long nights in the library, afternoons spent out by the lake with Elvendork and Juniper, covertly practicing wand movements as the two discovered how much of a slag Lieselot Selwyn truly was, she had slept with three of the four eligible Slytherin Quidditch players, most like.

The only time Andromeda wasn't learning was when she was sleeping or eating. It was an odd return to normalcy, this was, after all, much of what she had done before Ted Tonks had come bumbling into her life tripping over chairs and upsetting absolutely everything. And, if only lacking the interruption of Bellatrix demanding Andromeda get her nose out of the books and live life a bit for a change, Andromeda would not have noticed anything different. It was nearly as if her sixth year hadn't happened. Except it had, and that was not something someone easily forgot.

* * *

><p>Since Andromeda had served her rounds with the Gryffindor prefect, Roger Travers, the Hufflepuff prefect, Ted Tonks, and the Ravenclaw prefect, Caradoc Dearborn, that only left one other male prefect for her to be paired with, Augustus Rookwood. Andromeda rather wished that there was one, <em>just one<em>, sixth year male prefect who was not in one way or another biased, but it did not seem that she had luck on her side. Or perhaps Dumbledore had done some scrying into the future and chosen each one specifically to torture her. She would be likely to believe it if she were much more egotistical, as it were Andromeda knew that it was just pure, plain, bad luck.

In her own, perhaps a tad bit snooty, opinion, Augustus Rookwood was detestable. Even if, once upon a time, she had tried to use his own unfortunate July birthday to put off her imminent membership into the Knights of Walpurgis. That, as it had turned out, was less than necessary, since Andromeda had rather ruined that possibility herself. Or, at least, Theodore Nott and Walden MacNair had. Not that Andromeda was particularly complaining.

Augustus, however, bless his soul, had not been made aware of Andromeda's situation with the Knights. Sure, he knew about the rather unfortunate circumstances that had occurred over holiday that had led to a rather quick ending to a supposed meeting, anyone who was anybody knew about that, but it had not been revealed that Andromeda had unceremoniously been put on the 'do not provide membership' list. So unlikely were her chances of being invited back that she made Persimmon Nott look like a likely candidate, and that was saying something.

No one had informed Augustus of all this though, not being a pureblood he was not always privy to the going-ons and general scandals and opinions of pureblood society, and so rounds with him consisted of much the same dialogue. Andromeda had grown tired of it before it had even begun.

"So will you go to the meeting this week?" Augustus asked casually somewhere around the third floor.

"You know I can't tell you that," Andromeda replied faux-coyly.

"Right, only other members can know about the member list," Augustus said nodding as though he knew all the rules.

Andromeda wondered if he knew more than she did on the Knights front, she had ended all ties with anyone who was members with the group excluding her fiancé and want-to-be fiancé, after all. Occasionally Travers would say something to her, but after holiday he was less and less receptive to her company. Not that Andromeda was too hung up about it.

"Only a few more months for you, anyhow," Andromeda offered kindly, though kindly more often meant tiredly.

"I'm counting down the day," Augustus replied proudly, as though this fact would impress her.

To be fair, Andromeda was mildly impressed he _could _count so high, but then, Andromeda did not think very highly of Augustus' or many other people's intelligences. Her opinion was after all, often times rather snooty for those she did not know. It was most likely a Black thing, and a being generally more intelligent than most people thing. Augustus was, in his own right, actually rather intelligent, even if Andromeda did not recognize it. Which is why he had long since figured out that Andromeda _wasn't _in the Knights anymore and was consistently holding the same conversation over and over again to catch her in a lie.

His motives behind this deception were unknown, though perhaps he merely wanted to expose Andromeda for the fraud that she was, or use her secret to get him under his thumb. Maybe it was just the thrill of proving he was cleverer than a Black, or prove to said Black that he was actually clever. Whatever his reasons they were rather moot since Andromeda was neither embarrassed by her lack of acceptance into the Knights but rather relieved nor did she care enough to actively try and conceal. More importantly, though, she had larger more important secrets to protect, like her idiotic dalliance with Ted Tonks.

No matter his level of intelligence, there was no way Augustus could know all of this, and so they continued their same tired dance, holding the same conversation over and over again. A pointless waste of words that made Andromeda miss Caradoc Dearborn's carefully chosen words. She was beginning to understand more and more his stance on the importance of not mincing one's words, but she had promised herself not to dwell on the past, so rather than miss and reminisce over Caradoc she pretended she was intrigued in Augustus' topic of choice.

"Excited for the holidays?" He asked, a relatively new conversation expander given the nearing conclusion of the school year.

"Ecstatic," Andromeda retorted, trying her hardest not to sound overwhelmingly sarcastic.

"There'll be lots of pureblood balls and all that, yeah?" He remarked, though he knew the answer.

"I'd imagine so," she answered, "given that it'll be season and all."

"I've always wondered what that was like," he observed, perhaps telling the truth or perhaps trying to get Andromeda to divulge some important useful information.

"Unfortunately for you you'll have to keep wondering, I'm afraid," she replied curtly.

Augustus appeared unfazed, Andromeda had acquired a reputation for curt politeness over the years but that did not mean he would remain unhindered. Narcissa would perhaps be an easier nut to crack, but she possessed less useful knowledge, he presumed, and he was only interested in useful knowledge. Considering Narcissa's status and possibilities and Andromeda's general withdrawal over the past few months he was, unfortunately, wrong. But, again, not knowing much about pureblood society he could not know this and who the Black sisters really were, he could not know this.

"I'm sure it's wonderful," he continued unhindered. "Balls and tea parties and pretty dress robes. Every young witch's dream."

Andromeda cut him such a nasty look that it was a wonder he was still alive.

"We practically wet ourselves with excitement," she responded drolly.

The two fell into an awkward silence as Augustus picked up on Andromeda's rather aggressive 'stop talking' vibes that she had been sending out the whole conversation but he had been purposefully ignoring. Her comment provided no further attempted prying, however, and so he paused to mull over a way to introduce a new topic of some hidden agenda he had. His pause allowed Andromeda the time to take control of the unpleasant situation, however.

"Patrols over," she lied, for Augustus was lacking a watch and would therefore believe her.

"Already?" He asked in surprise. "It hardly seems like it's been anytime at all."

It hadn't, been it had been long enough that Molly Prewett would not have Andromeda's head for abandoning her post and rain down on her the rant that she had been saving up since April. Besides, considering the injuries Andromeda had incurred due to her prefectship over the course of the year, both physical and emotional, she figured no one could get cross with her for cutting out early.

"Time flies when you're having fun," Andromeda offered with a pleasant shrug.

"Well, we might as well walk back to the common room together," Augustus offered slyly.

"I'd love to," Andromeda replied, fake smile plastered on her face, "but I have to send my mother a letter about my dress robes for the Malfoy ball imminently. Maybe I'll catch up with you?"

Augustus, shrewd and clever man that he was, knew when he had been defeated, and parted ways with Andromeda reluctantly, going over all the information that had been said and making plans for the next round. This was, sadly, rather a typical move on his part and as per usual, he had not had any positive results. Andromeda was good at keeping her secrets, she had perfected it, and it was not likely that through any polite conversation and false pleasantries Augustus would manage to crack her.

* * *

><p>Exams weren't really a big deal for sixth years. While their classes had been challenging and the exams were equally as hard, in the wake of taking one's OWLs and aware that the year after one would be taking NEWTs, final exams paled in comparison. Many students tended to underestimate their exams during their sixth year, taking it like a year break between major life exams, and those people rarely did well enough to keep on in some of their now NEWT level classes, but those people were not the majority and they certainly were not Andromeda Black.<p>

With a lack of friends, sans Slytherin dorm mates, it was not as though Andromeda had much else to occupy her time with, and she had always been particularly gifted and intrigued by education. By lack of other option or much else to do Andromeda found most of her time during exams spent in the library either studying, or as had been her practice previous to the whole Ted debacle, picking a random subject off the shelves and learning it.

It was thus that even during exams week, except when she was found outside by the lack reading surrounded by Elvendork and Juniper chatting idly, Andromeda could be found within the library. And that was where Hestia Jones found her.

Andromeda had assumed, apparently incorrectly, that at the end of her relationship with Ted he would keep his previous friends and she would be left with naught, except Xenophilius who had been keeping her company the past few days and was only absent on this occasion due to an exam, but it seemed that Hestia Jones was not one to follow the rules carefully laid out by precedent.

"Wotcher," Hestia greeted merrily, taking a seat across from Andromeda.

Andromeda looked up from her book in surprise and stared at the pink faced rich in front of her.

"Uh…Hullo?" She offered finally, confusion evident.

Rather than respond Hestia grabbed the book from Andromeda's hands and turned it around to look at the cover.

"What is with you and always grabbing things?" Andromeda asked, recalling her poor jammy dodgers which had been consumed almost entirely by Hestia a few months back.

"Huh," Hestia remarked ignoring her, "_The Complete History of the Norwegian Ridgeback_ sounds fascinating. Do you even take Care of Magical Creatures?"

"Yes," Andromeda answered shortly trying to take her book back. "I take everything but Divination and Muggle Studies."

"Why not?" Hestia inquired.

"Well since my future has been an entirely planned out for me it's not as though I really _need _to take Divination, do I?" Andromeda answered.

"That's what people who have no idea what's in store for them always say," Hestia commented mysteriously.

"Rubbish," Andromeda retorted. "The only thing mysterious about my future right now is which bloke I'll end up with."

"And that, my dear Andromeda, is the point, innit?" Hestia declared dramatically before rooting through her bag. "Fizzing whizbee?"

"_You can't eat in here!_" Andromeda hissed as Hestia dumped a pile of candy on their table.

"But I'm hungry," Hestia pouted, picking up a licorice wand. "And I'm graduating in a week what is Madame Pince going to do? Ban me?"

"She could ban me, the innocent sixth year who sort of lives here," Andromeda pointed out.

"But you're not the one eating," Hestia said.

Andromeda shot her a condescending look before picking her book back up, which Hestia had finally abandoned in her attempt to get food out of her bag, and made a point of reading it.

"Oi, I'm talking to you!" Hestia declared in outrage, smacking the book out of Andromeda's hands.

"It's rude to talk with your mouth full," Andromeda retorted, not even batting an eye at Hestia's antics.

"You only have my divine presence for another week, you ought to appreciate it you know," Hestia declared importantly.

"Not even that," Andromeda remarked. "There's only about three days left until graduation.

"My point exactly," Hestia continued unperturbed.

"It's not as though you won't be hanging about Hogsmeade every weekend pining after Charity though," Andromeda said with a shrug. "I'll be seeing you whenever, really."

"Not so," Hestia returned using her licorice wand to point at Andromeda.

"Pardon?" Andromeda asked in surprise. "You and Charity didn't…did you?"

"Oh Merlin no!" Hestia exclaimed with a shake of her licorice. "Some of us are still capable of relationships around here, after all."

Andromeda pretended no to have heard the second part of her answer.

"Then why won't you be mooning about Hogsmeade next year?" She asked instead, properly curious.

"Because, my dear Andromeda, Hestia Jones is a woman of action, not one of idle hands and boredom," Hestia explained.

"Well we all knew that," Andromeda retorted. "You'll still be in England though? In the Ministry or something. Picking pockets in Diagon Alley perhaps?"

Hestia looked at her unimpressed.

"Didn't I just say I wasn't a woman of boredom?" She reminded. "That all sounds very _boring_, doesn't it? Not the life for me."

"Please elucidate, then," Andromeda said.

"You have no respect for the theatrics," Hestia admonished with a sigh. "Which is a bit of a conundrum considering the theatric spectacle that is your life. What are we in now, Act IV?"

"I don't follow?" Andromeda replied.

"Act I, We find Andromeda Black on a crisp September morn, about to start her sixth year of Hogwarts. She knows not what the year will hold, but she looks forward to it with the same detached air as she has all previous ones. The cast of characters include Bellatrix Black, her slightly deranged sister who controls most of her opinions, Molly Prewett and Arthur Weasley, ginger, unsuspecting Head Students who are instrumental in the play without realizing their own importance, Charity Burbage, a voluptuous adorable blonde with a heart of gold and a trusting spirit that tends to get her in trouble, and, ah, our leading man, a mysterious tall muscular blonde with sapphire blue eyes who goes by the name Edward Tonks, Ted for short," Hestia began leaning forward as though an intrusion of Andromeda's personal space would make it all the more dramatic.

"What, no Hestia Jones?" Andromeda asked coolly.

"I don't arrive until Act II, dear. Don't get ahead of yourself," Hestia said waving her off.

"Please," Andromeda scoffed.

"Well, if you insist," Hestia replied. "Act I consists of Andromeda trying to proving her sister wrong, breaking away from her dreadfully boring bookish life and experiencing the world. It's there that characters like Ted Tonks and the sensational Charity Burbage come into play, both characters that by their birth are the very thing Andromeda is meant to hate, but she can't. They help her to see the light and doubt her beliefs and it's a very dramatic act, not quite the exposition one would expect but this is a dramatic show so the exposition is, of course, just as dramatic. But it's still exposition; Andromeda's life is only just nearing the tip of the iceberg here. The act closes, of course, with her brave facing of several pureblood supremacists singlehandedly, a key moment in her character's development."

"Oh bother, are we still talking about that?" Andromeda asked. "That was ages ago!"

"Yes, in Act I," Hestia agreed. "Seems like so long ago, but you're the one that asked for more."

"That isn't quite what I-," Andromeda disagreed before Hestia cut her off.

"Act II opens on a cold, strange morning. It's an odd half world between light and dark, and it becomes apparent that it is not yet dawn. Our heroine has been tossing and turning all night, plagued by thoughts and emotions she knows she shouldn't be feeling, and heads to the kitchen for a snack to clear her mind. Here she meets the vivacious, dark haired girl who will become quite the mentor for the young girl. A Ravenclaw, and therefore naturally brilliant, Hestia Jones lays out words of wisdom whilst admiring the physique of the girl in the nighty across from her. Is she a lesbian? The audience does not quite know, but this adds intrigue," Hestia continued, eyes widening appropriately.

"Oh for Merlin's sake," Andromeda declared with an air of exasperation. "Are you being serious?"

"Well that's what happened," Hestia said shortly. "Anyways, this act focuses on the blossoming and taboo feelings between Ted and Andromeda as they share patrols and is very touch and go for almost everyone. Despite the gentle nudging of her friends Andromeda is unsure how she feels, and after a weird kissed shared with her eccentric friend Xenophilius—seriously what was up with that Ted was meant to be your New Year's kiss—the act ends on Andromeda's birthday where, after ingesting an inordinate amount of alcohol she practically throws herself at the boy."

Andromeda sent her a condescending look which Hestia promptly ignored.

"Act III starts with the two dating, and it's very cute and a little unfortunate for any unsuspecting sandwich that gets in the way of their uncontrollable snogging, and things seem to go pretty well for quite a while. This is what we like to call the lull of action. The audience has to enjoy the couple together a bit before anything more can happen because, well, no one's going to care about what happens next if they aren't ecstatic over the fact that the two are finally together. But, like all five part plays, the third act is sort of the high point of the action. It's where Julius Caesar dies, where Hamlet does whatever the fuck he does in that play, I mean, come on, how hard is it to kill your uncle? Why does Charity even like Shakespeare? I haven't the slightest idea, the man is ridiculous. He sets up the perfect moment of woman power in Macbeth with 'no _man_ born of woman can kill him' and gives it to some bloke who was born by some weird medical muggle thing I mean _blimey_-."

"Uh…Hestia?" Andromeda interrupted. "I have no idea who you're talking about."

"Thank you lucky stars, Andromeda," Hestia replied. "_Midsummer's Night Dream _is an absolute mess."

"I'll keep that in mind?" Andromeda offered uncertainly.

"Right, anyways, where was I? Right! The pinnacle of action, the third act! As all good plays do, it's time for some drama and excitement, as though Andromeda hasn't had enough, and due to some weird brain tumor that forces her into temporary insanity she breaks it off between herself and the rugged, blue-eyed object of her affections, Ted Tonks. It's all very sad and some people cry maybe, I don't know, I'm not a crier myself but maybe some of the audience members get touched, and the act ends with Ted Tonks staring moodily at the Black Lake and Andromeda crying in a classroom or something, I'm not quite sure, but the whole staring thing was really creepy, let me tell you, Arthur said it was the most terrifying thing he'd ever seen-," Hestia continued.

"Yes, thank you for rehashing that Hestia," Andromeda cut off harshly. "That was a moment I wanted relive before my Ancient Runes exam."

"But I'm not done," Hestia whined.

"Merlin there's _more_ to this weird play analogy of yours?" Andromeda inquired wearily. "Aren't we near the middle of it already?"

"Yes," Hestia answered. "We're nearly done, as I said, that was the conclusions of Act III. Pay attention, Andromeda."

"Act IV, then?" Andromeda asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh no, not quite," Hestia replied, shaking her head.

"But you said-," Andromeda started.

"Well, I overestimated," Hestia explained. "I mean, _technically_ we're sort of on the brink of Act IV but the thing is that all long plays require Intermission these days so we're about there, I'd reckon."

"Sounds delightful," Andromeda remarked. "Can we get back to it then? The Intermission, I mean."

"Well yes, we could," Hestia said, "but it's all very boring. Twenty whole minutes for concessions as the tech people rush about setting up the next scene on stage and the actors all chat in the back. Blah blah, so boring, always my least favorite part. And always right after the height of action! No one wants to see our illustrious leads sitting about moping for ages, we want the dramatic conclusion! And intermission just means we're going to have to wait longer for the incredibly boring Act IV."

"Which is?" Andromeda prompted.

"Oh, I haven't the slightest clue. It hasn't been written yet," Hestia retorted with a wink. "I imagine it'll be summer vacation where our two leads bemoan their misfortunes and miss each other terribly, and then something will happen, I don't know what, but I'm afraid I'm bailing at intermission."

"Pardon?" Andromeda inquired, confused by the sudden change of pace.

"Well it's only I hate Act IV, it's always such rubbish. I've already had a bit of my own Act IV, I don't need someone else's, so I'll be taking a bit of a departure and then probably, hopefully, returning for the exciting action packed Act V. Where everything gets turned upside down and everything comes to an interesting conclusion."

"What do you mean you're skipping Act IV?" Andromeda asked. "I'm perplexed by this whole play metaphor thing. Where will you be _going_?"

"Oh, have I not said?" Hestia said in surprise. "I thought I had. I'm not into that whole 'sit on your hands and wait' nonsense and I don't quite have my future figured out so I'm doing what all moderately wealthy only child do when they don't want adventure and intrigue."

"Having a quarter life crises?" Andromeda offered.

"What? No! _Traveling_. I have budget and I have plans, a bit of Europe and then, _America_. Hestia Jones is saying Aloha as soon as that diploma is in here hand," Hestia exclaimed. "No mooning, no pining, just a world of adventure and acclaim."

"Aloha also means hello," Andromeda pointed out helpfully.

"Yes, but Hestia Jones only says _Wotcher. _Have you even been paying attention?" Hestia demanded. "It's only my catchphrase, Andromeda."

"My apologies," Andromeda said sarcastically. "Aloha it is then."

"Righto," Hestia agreed. "So anyways, I only came over here to say Aloha and all. Since, due to our little difficult of Act III I imagine you probably won't be coming to my goodbye party. It'd probably be a bit…awkward and all."

"Oh, all right," Andromeda replied awkwardly. "Thanks for, uh, telling me?"

"No problem kiddo, after all, what's a vivacious suedo-mentor meant to do? I just can't leave letting you think I hate you and all," Hestia said with a shrug. "Anyways, good luck on that Runes exam. I'll see you at graduation?"

"Yes, I have to be there, sister and all," Andromeda answered with a slight nod.

"Oh, yeah, you're not…?" Hestia inquired awkwardly.

"No, no. Haven't talked to her since New Year's, really. Black's must keep up appearances, however," Andromeda explained.

"Good," Hestia said with a nod before collecting her stuff. "Anyways, I best be going. I have a hot date waiting for me down at the lake. Good luck with Act IV, Andromeda.

"Thanks, but I don't think there'll be one Hestia. This is it, honestly. Some plays only have three acts," Andromeda replied with a shake of her head. "I'm afraid that was the end."

"Oh Andromeda," Hestia sighed. "A wise man once said, 'This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

"That's absolute rubbish," Andromeda said. "What crackpot said that?"

"Winston Churchill. He was one of the muggles' former prime ministers," Hestia answered with a laugh.

"Well he was hardly a man of speech was he? Nobby Leach could've run circles round him," Andromeda declared.

"Why Andromeda Black, Nobby Leach was a muggle-born!" Hestia exclaimed in mock amazement. "How far you've come."

"Oh shut up and go study for you exams," Andromeda ordered. "And never quote Winston Churchill to me again!"

* * *

><p>Graduation arrived without much fanfare, the seventh years were relieved to finally be done with their NEWTs and the younger students were prepping for the long and tedious ceremony that awaited them. Graduation ceremony was by no means required, and many students elected to sleep in rather than get up to watch their former cohorts trip across a stage and shake Dumbledore's hand, but for everyone who had friends or relatives graduating seats were taken in the Quidditch stands, the only prebuilt arena that could hold not only students but also the various family relatives that would come to watch everyone say goodbye to their home away from home.<p>

Andromeda had not, aside from Walden's graduation, attended the ceremony in previous years for she had had no need to make an appearance. With Bellatrix's graduation however, something she would have once been looking at with a sense of crushing sadness rather than the current ambivalence she was feeling, it was almost required for her to go. That, and despite the fact that she had not talked to any of them besides Hestia recently, a part of her did in fact want to watch Hestia, Molly, and Arthur graduate. Even if they weren't the best of friends they were people who, in some way, had impacted her.

Her parents had come to see Bellatrix graduate, Andromeda could not decide if it was out of pride their daughter had made it or because it was expected of them, and so she and Narcissa went to go sit with them, as a unified family was a much nicer picture than one that was divided. Hogwarts graduation was the only time that the wards to keep muggles out were somewhat lifted, as many years ago there had been some complaint about muggle-born family members not being allowed to attend, but only immediate family was granted entrance into the elusive castle, and then only a certain number.

Graduation was always a tricky business to organize and Andromeda counted herself lucky that she was not in charge of that debacle as she made her way to her seat, stumbling around various stunned muggle faces as she made her way to her parents, Narcissa in tow.

"I don't know why they insist on letting them in here," Narcissa complained as she made her way around a particularly burly man. "It's a _magic _school for a reason."

"Yes, but some of the students' parents aren't exactly magic. How would you feel if mother and father couldn't attend your graduation?" Andromeda reasoned. "They already have to straddle two worlds, at least give them graduation, Cissy."

"I'd rather they leave after graduation," Narcissa muttered.

"Pardon?" Andromeda asked, as she had not quite heard.

"It's only wouldn't it be better, easier, if they just didn't enter the wizarding world after they graduated?" Narcissa offered unsurely.

"How do you mean?" Andromeda inquired.

"Well, all right, so we have to put up with the muggle-borns in school because they need to learn to control their magic, I get that. No matter how they got it we can't let them go blowing the secret because they aren't practiced in the art, but they don't have to _stay _afterwards, do they?" She explained. "No one wants them here and then they wouldn't have to 'straddle two worlds'. They can give back their wands and control their magic so there aren't any 'incidents' and go back to living muggle life like how they would have been had they never gotten magic in the first place. Save us all a lot of trouble."

Andromeda looked at her in surprise.

"What?" Narcissa asked defensively.

"It's just, I mean, that's a rather passive solution to the dilemma," Andromeda said in surprise. "It's not antagonistic or anything."

"Well I don't want them _dead_," Narcissa replied. "Maybe that's bad, maybe I should, I don't know. I don't like them, I don't want them around, they're annoying and unnecessary, but if we're going to be stuck with them and have to teach them just so they don't blow hundreds of year of protection against proper witches and wizards then the least they can do is go back to the muggle world and mum's the word."

Andromeda bit her lip so as to keep her rather pro-muggle-born views to herself, as there were certainly flaws in Narcissa's idea, flaws that rested entirely on the fact that muggle-borns weren't exactly nuisance nor did they owe 'proper wizards', whoever those were, anything. The idea though, that Narcissa has come to such a suedo-peaceful conclusion, that she didn't want everyone dead or even seemingly to join the Knights like Bellatrix had so quickly latched onto, was comforting to Andromeda. Maybe it wasn't entirely too late, maybe she could actually have some sort of ally in the toxic society she was living in.

If Narcissa could be so passive about the whole thing, and so forward thinking, she'd clearly given it all a lot of though, then maybe life in pureblood society wouldn't be quite as terrible as Andromeda had been preparing for. It was odd, that in all of her concern for herself, she forgot that her little sister was not so little anymore and was beginning to grow and possess her own ideas, still problematic perhaps, but certainly much better than the ones that had been spat around for the past twenty years. If she cultivated, started treating Narcissa like a friend and less like a sister she was stuck with now that her proper friend had gone off the deep end, then maybe Narcissa wouldn't be as doomed as the rest of them.

It was funny how she could have been so wrapped up in her own stupid problems, problems that she had caused in the first place, that she had completely disregarded the importance of saving her own sister. She had discounted Narcissa's ladylike qualities as conforming to the society, and all that entailed, when in fact she was as much an individual as Andromeda. It occurred to her that perhaps she had been discounting Narcissa for much too long.

"That's a fairly decent thought, Narcissa," Andromeda said, for she did not want to dissuade her sister from speaking out in the future.

For the only way someone would learn that their opinions worthwhile, that questioning things was okay, was by the repeated affirmations that Andromeda had so frequently lacked from her Uncle Alphard. If she just kept at it, agreed and gently steered Narcissa it wouldn't be too late, maybe she could somehow make a new order of Blacks. Bellatrix was gone, Bellatrix was hopeless, but there was still Narcissa and Sirius and Regulus. Surely if she was to stay in this society she could at least make it better?

She had been resigning to it all like it was some problem, but it wasn't, not really. Maybe she had a proclivity to being negative that had stopped her from seeing the sense in it all, the actual silver lining. She and Ted were dead and done, but the whole year hadn't been a waste, she didn't have to drown her opinions and swallow her pride for the rest of her life, revolution started with the individual and even if it was just subtle undermining, a few changes in ideals that though not creating an imminent change could lead to so much more. The children were the future and the children, as it happened, loved and admired Andromeda. Listened to everything she said.

A smile fell on her face as she watched the ceremony, one that by anyone else could be construed as happiness for her sister graduating, her sister going out into the world and dealing with the muggle-born problem at last, but it wasn't it was a smile for herself, a smile for the fact that Andromeda Black, oh so clever and ever initiative, had found a way to not only cope with the way her life was going, but to make society for the better. It would take time and it would take patience, but brick by brick she could try and save the younger purebloods from following their parents' ideals. Old society was cemented, but with new minds came new possibilities and Andromeda was lacking enough morals to take advantage of that.

Hestia had been right, there would be an Act IV and even though it wouldn't quite line up with her, Hestia's, expectations it was almost certainly coming. And, contrary to Hestia's beliefs, it was going to be quite the stir. Intermission was over, Act IV was coming, and it was a doozy.

* * *

><p><strong>Even Sherlock came back before I did...<strong>


	20. Chapter Twenty

_Andromeda,_

How are things in rainy old Britain? I'd say you're complaining about the lack of warm weather right now despite the fact that's it's meant to be summer, but I can tell you with complete confidence that it is infinitely colder here in Sweden. There also seems to be an infestation of Prestibits nearly everywhere, though the Swedes are blaming their effects on 'Pollen Allergy'. How wonderful it must be to be so ignorant.

The quest for the crumple-horned snorkack living quarters has yet been successful, although we did come across some rather promising tracks this morning, intentions to follow them will hopefully lead to conclusive results, though only time will tell. The family that we are living with seems very accepting of our intentions, or at least have not been negative like so many other researchers we have contacted, and are providing companionship as well as help in navigating the countryside and speaking the upside down language. They are rather entertaining people, honestly, though the father doesn't speak a lick of English. Still, their son and daughter have been very helpful and for that we've been thankful.

More on them to come, however. On to you.

I can only hope my positive regards have made it your way and things are starting to look up, though I will understand if they have not made it yet. It is quite the distance from here to there. Still, I am enclosing several in this letter, hopefully they survive the trip. How goes Mission 'Pretend Sections of Last Year Did Not Occur'? Has been keeping busy truly helped or does it seem as useless as ever? Perhaps mentioning it is not helping.

How is the family? How is Octavius, for that matter? I am aware that asking you to pet sit a pet that you in fact gave me is not the best way to thank you for such a lovely present, but what can one do when they must go on an expedition to Sweden and their host family claims to have allergies? (Always the allergies with these people, when will they understand that it is the large colonies of Prestibits they allow to float about?) I digress.

_Hoping summer finds you well, _

_Xenophilius_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Xenophilius,<em>

As I spend most of my time inside like any good rich Pureblood, I cannot comment either way on the weather, though due to the placement of Sweden in relation to England, and particularly my portion of England, I can only presume that you are in fact correct in your assumption that it is colder. Still, it cannot be so bad if people insist on living there? Although I would say that the rain here is dreadful and yet we still put up with it, so perhaps Swedes have the same vein of craziness for the cold. Who are we to judge?

I wait for confirmation that you have found the crumple-horned snorkacks den, if only so that I know your mission has been a success and I did not spend all summer missing one of my best friends for no good reason. Fruition of results is the only way I will excuse you for abandoning me for a near three months, Xenophilius. I hope you are aware of this. My own mission, for that matter, is less than successful. Especially when people insist on bringing it up even ten seconds. You would think given the fact that only about five people were aware of the predicament I had gotten myself in it would not come up as much, but apparently not.

What a pity.

In any case, I do not blame you for asking, so do not hold guilt over that, it is natural curiosity I suppose. I stare at the wall less and have stopped eating packages of Jammy Dodgers in one sitting, so I would say there has been some mild progress at least. Perhaps it is in thanks to your well regards. If so, I thank you, because there are so many Jammy Dodgers one can eat until they begin to doubt their own sanity, as I'm sure you're aware.

"More on that later" sounds promising. Do divulge. Is the daughter cute? Or the son? Whatever you prefer, really, I am honestly in no position to judge for obvious reasons. I'm sorry for the typical questions but unfortunately as your friend it is my duty to ask. The introduction of any potential romantic mate in your life requires scrutiny. It just is how it is.

Octavius is well, though he is a bit fed up stuck in my room. You see, mother is generally unaware of his existence (I've sworn the house elves to secrecy) so he must stay in my room at all costs. He is rather lovely and well-tempered despite your ominous warnings; maybe he just likes me better because he recognizes me as his savior? Please do continue digressing, I'm intrigues by these Prestibits. What exactly is it they do?

_Much love,_

_Andromeda_

* * *

><p><em>Aloha Andromeda<em>,

Regards from Utah. Aha, you probably assumed I'd be in Hawaii due to the intro but no, my dear, I am on a quest to visit all the weird and unnecessary tourist traps in Muggle America and so I have found myself most recently at something dubbed 'Hole N' The Rock'. It is what you expect, yes, but it also so much more. I have tried to purchase the taxidermy horse from the owner, Gladys, for Charity but alas, my charm has failed me.

America is a strange and wonderful place, Andromeda. Just last week I visited a giant ball of yarn. Why, you ask? Why indeed. I have no idea. But it is wonderful and strange and reminds me that life is a strange, unpredictable existence. I don't know where tomorrow will take me, but that is the fun of it. Also, I would advise you not to willingly place yourself in an aero plane. Small confined space, strange cramped bathroom, and a heady smell of cigarette smoke as apparently everyone and anyone smokes. In general: an unpleasant experience.

I don't have much else to say, but I hope things are well with you. And if not, imagine me surrounded by unwashed hippies hitching a ride in a giant van and I think that will make you smile.

_Hestia_

P.S. If you're going through Hell—keep going. (That's your pal Churchill)

* * *

><p><em>Andromeda<em>.

Congratulations on the new engagement are in order, I suppose. It seems that drama will never be short in High Society as long as we have you. That being said, we are pleased to inform you that you are invited to the union of one Arthur Weasley and one Molly Prewett. Presents are not required, but appreciated, and do not worry, it will be a small affair.

Just tell your mother that you're going out to tea or some rubbish. You're an excellent liar, we have confidence in you.

Reply soon, please.

_Molly_.

Also, don't bring a plus one, please. That would be disastrous and ill-planned.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Charity,<em>

I hope you're all right. I hope…I hope we're all right. I'm sorry. I really am. (And Blacks don't apologize so I don't do this lightly). I know it's weird, I know you're obviously on the side that is not mine, and I understand. I really do. I don't blame you for it, it makes sense. (Bit pointless to even jabber on about it I suppose it's not as though you need _my _confirmation for your own personal choices).

I just wanted to know if you are well, how your summer is treating you? I understand if you don't reply, I don't mind honest, but I did appreciate you as a person so I wouldn't mind cordial updates. I imagine your summer is probably not the most enjoyable right now, considering Hestia is off traveling, but maybe some summers are meant to be rubbish.

I don't even know why I'm writing this.

I don't know if I'll even send it.

It's actually the worst letter I've ever written.

_Sorry,_

_Andromeda_

* * *

><p><em>A—<em>

It's not me you should be apologizing to. It's certainly not _my _summer you ought to be concerned about being wrecked. But I understand that I am receiving your misplaced emotions because you can't address them to who you truly want to.

That's fine. I get it. Please don't do it again.

For reasons I'm sure you understand I would rather you not contact me again. We could have been friends, sure, but unlike you I have seen firsthand what you've done and unless if you want a letter of anger and rage it'd be in your best interest not to contact me again.

Apologize to the person who deserves it, not me.

_-C_

* * *

><p><em>Wotcher,<em>

It occurs to me that you can't write back as I don't have a legitimate return address and I am moving too fast that sending an owl after me would just be plain _cruel_. Fine. We can have a one-sided conversation. I don't mind, those are my favorite.

I'm in Florida at the moment, visiting amusement parks and whatnot. There's this giant bridge that connects the Florida Keys (they're a collection of islands) and I think I'm going to con some bloke into taking me across it in his car later. Apparently if you have a fancy accent and are a pretty bird you can get help with most anything here. If I fancied blokes and wasn't in a committed relationship I could be having a _ball_. Shit. Don't tell Charity I said that. IT WAS A JOKE.

Anyways, Florida is swell but hot and humid and rainy (but the rain is warm and _gross _so what's the bleeding point?). People keep saying it's 'Hurricane Season' so I guess that's why.

_Best Wishes, _  
><em>Hestia<em>

P.S. Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. (Yes, I bought a book of his quotes. Hope they are inspiring you to greatness).

* * *

><p><em>Dear Molly,<em>

Thank you very much for the congratulations, though the subtext seemed slightly disapproving but I'll ignore it because I honestly can't handle fighting with someone else right now. For obvious reasons I do not think I will be attending your wedding, although congratulations are in order and I wish you both the best in life. Thank you for the invitation but I think you can see the obvious ramifications were I to attend.

_My apologies,_

_Andromeda_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Andromeda,<em>

The crumple-horned snorkack tracks led nowhere. We are back to square one. The admittance that I am your best friend, however, was a very touching sentiment and makes me feel that even if we don't find something on this trip—fingers crossed we do –that it was in a way worth it. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and it seems it has helped you admit the importance of our friendship.

Really though, thank you.

There is not much to say on that front—though I can confirm that it is _females_ that I am generally interested in. To clear that up. They are blonde, blue-eyed, Swedish to the core. The son is well fed and slightly doughy, and the daughter is very pretty, but also inordinately passionate about potions and experiments. We rarely see her except at meals, so it is the son we primarily deal with. Their names are Aaron and Camilla. Aaron has come exploring with us on several instances—but he is loud and clumsy so it may be thanks to him that no animals will make their presence known. It's all right though; he's still new to it.

It's nice to hear you're doing slightly better, and that Octavius is behaving for once. Perhaps you are a fire crab whisperer of some sort? Or just have a calming influence. Maybe we will have you out of your room before the end of summer, for a reason beyond social functions. I heard Molly and Arthur were getting married? Maybe you could go to that. It'll probably be fun. At the very least you can give them my regards, as I will not be attending for obvious reasons—and then promptly tell me the details as I do wish I could be in attendance.

I will be sure to tell you all about Prestibits when I get back, don't worry. If I wrote it to you this letter would go on and on.

_Well regards,_

_Xenophilius_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Ted,<em>

_Ted,_

_Edward,_

_To Ted Tonks,_

Bollocks.

(unsent)

* * *

><p><em>Andromeda.<em>

I think you misunderstood. The invitation was less of a request and more of a subtle order. That being said, subtlety is obviously not working so I will be forthright with it: come to the wedding, or else. If you are not in attendance then I will apparate to your house, drag your improperly dressed self out of bed, and _force _you to come to the wedding. And what kind of drama would that stir up in your home? Nothing good, I'm sure. Plus how ghastly would it be to show up a wedding improperly attired? You'd besmear the Black name forever.

It's probably best to just cooperate and come willingly.

_Molly._

* * *

><p><em>A—<em>

Perhaps I was a bit harsh. I still would prefer to be in as little contact with you as possible, but I have to write you to do me a favor. Don't come.

Please.

Don't.

I know I don't have a place to ask that of you, but, well, as Ted's best mate I kind of have to. Sorry.

_-C_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Charity,<em>

I have no intentions of attending, don't worry. I am well aware of my current role as social pariah. It is neither my place nor my initiative, and as far as I'm concerned I already have enough weddings to attend this summer. I hope you all have a lovely time.

_Sincerely,_

_Andromeda_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Xenophilius,<em>

You are daft. I am ignoring your well words and well wishes, as well as your description of the Camilla bird as 'pretty' because one paragraph of you letter is so insane that it needs to be addressed at once. I am not going to the wedding for _obvious _reasons and for you to ask me to is awful. Just ask someone else for the details; I'm sure you and the rest of the group are still in touch. Please don't be ridiculous.

As for the rest of it, you're welcome. You really are though, and it's not just because my friendship circle has dwindled down to you and Hestia who's gallivanting about the States like a lunatic. (Have you been getting correspondence from her, by the way? She writes me occasionally and apparently she is charming blokes into doing her whim. Cheeky cow.) I can honestly say you are one of the few people I can be honest with, and I miss you excruciatingly. Also, have you done the Ancient Runes summer work yet? I'm only halfway done and I've been doing some everyday.

Now on to the important bits. Xenophilius Lovegood thinks a girl is pretty? I always assumed that you didn't even see people, no offence. But I've never _once _seen you go after a girl (albeit I have only known you for less than a year). She's even into doing her own little thing that other people might think is odd, it's perfect. Perhaps this is premature, I'm sorry, this is actually the only decent news I've gotten all summer and I am well prepared to run with it.

Stop me if you've heard this one. So Xenophilius and Camilla meet an ordained official in a bar. All right, sorry, I won't go there. Feel free to regard this whole paragraph. Or at least, this paragraph up to this sentence. I look forward to hearing about these Prestibits. Perhaps I've been misblaming allergies all this time when it's actual them. Life is odd like that.

_Much Love,_

_Andromeda_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Molly<em>,

Although you paint a very vivid picture I doubt the seriousness of the threats. The answer is still no. I don't even know why you'd want me there, to be honest. I am well aware of whom the guest list includes and if that doesn't spell disaster I don't know what does.

_Andromeda_

* * *

><p><em>Andromeda,<em>

Okay so the bridge was boring. The view was lovely though. The company less so. I was stuck with some English Major (whatever that means) and he just driveled on about authors nonstop. Being a wizard it was a very one-sided conversation. I know I said I love those but only when _I'm_ the one leading. Anyways, he started reciting this bloody weird poem at me.

"We must not speak to goblin men, / We must not buy their fruits:"

I fell asleep after that bit and then when I woke up the goblins were attacking some bird named Laura. You should read it. I know how you love to read weird muggle bollocks and then apply it directly to your life. Ted told me as much. (Too soon? Sorry.)

I'm in D.C. now. Visiting the President. Or, sort of. I can't _actually_ visit the president but I saw his home. Much like when I stalked Buckingham, however, he was not outside. What a pity. Who even is the muggle President? I haven't the slightest, to be honest. Charity would know.

Went to a Quodpot match. What even…? That game is so weird, Andy. Stick with Quidditch, dear. The ball exploded and everyone cheered and I was just sitting there wondering about the snitch. Eustace (he's another bloke I met) said that Brits just don't get it, that it's _way _more interesting than Quidditch. Not to discredit Eustace, but he's dead wrong.

_Hestia_

P.S. It is not in our stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. (I felt bad sending you all Churchill, so here's some Shakespeare. Rubbiiiish.)

* * *

><p><em>Andromeda,<em>

Nice. Nearly there.

_Caradoc_

* * *

><p><em>Caradoc<em>,

You even write in fragmented sentences? Really? How do you do it? I honestly just blab on and on and then sit there awkwardly wishing I hadn't kept on going. For instance, right now. Written word is really only worse, because it's as though your hand just _has _to write everything your brain thinks and if you aren't paying attention then who knows what will happen.

Your control is awe-inspiring.

That being said, nice for _what _exactly? Are you talking about the punch incident at the most previous ball? Because I can confirm to you that that was not even remotely intentional, but I thank you for the appreciation anyways as it _was _quite brilliant if I do say so myself. Or, perhaps, was it in response to my outburst in tea last Wednesday? I can assure you, once again, that was completely out of my control. Evan Rosier was bang out of order and I can't stand him. Blokes my cousin and the very sound of his voice leaves me quaking with rage. How can someone you're related to be so aggravating?

_Or_ is it because I pointed out the Dearborns aren't even on the Pureblood list? Sorry, but you're not. Stop acting like you're true Purebloods. We all know you're worse than the Weasleys.

_Please explain yourself at once_,

_Andromeda_

* * *

><p><em>Andromeda<em>,

Actually no, I was simply sending you a quick line before heading out with Miranda. To be so fragmented in letters would be pointless, though I do make a point of being concise. While all of those points in time were certainly wonderful—my favorite being when you called out father on his questionable blood, always a fun time—it was not what I was referring to.

The "nice" was in reference to your recent engagement which we were very glad to hear about. The resulting response was simply the icing on the cake. The "nearly there" however I'll let you figure that one out.

_Caradoc_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Andromeda<em>,

You are impossible. And not even remotely funny. I cannot further this discussion with you on the grounds of lunacy, but yes, Camilla is 'pretty'. You are also arbitrarily 'pretty' that doesn't_ mean_ anything. If you were to get out of the house for once perhaps you would not be driven to such means for entertainment. A great proper source of entertainment, for example, would be the wedding.

And that is all I have to say on the subject.

Progress in the crumple-horned snorkack investigation, we have found what seem to be their living quarters, or what used to be. They appear to be migratory, perhaps changing location due to location? Perhaps they move further north during the summer as they like it to be cold. That being said, address may change as we look into this possibility and most likely head further north. I'll keep you posted.

How are things? How are they _really_? If I'm your proper best mate you ought to be honest here. I worry.

_Well regards,_

_Xenophilius_

* * *

><p><em>Andromeda<em>.

Have we met? My threats are not empty. I will waltz into your house and drag you by your ankle if I have to. We even made sure not to put the wedding on the same day as your sister's so you can attend both. We are being very allowing here, stop being difficult. As for the rest of it, it's _my _wedding day. Sometimes you have to sacrifice your own best wishes for the bride. If I wasn't about to be excommunicated from Pureblood society I would be at your wedding.

_You're coming_,

_Molly._

* * *

><p><em>Dear Molly,<em>

Why do I feel as though this wedding is a farce and it's actually an intervention? _Why do you even want me there? _You're loony.

_Not coming_,

_Andromeda_

P.S. Have you been getting Xenophilius to join you in this madness? He's been particularly pushy as well.

* * *

><p><em>Andromeda<em>.

Convincing letter to come shortly.

_Molly._

* * *

><p><em>Dear Xenophilius,<em>

First of all, thank you. Second of all, I am not simply 'pretty' and that's that. No, this isn't an egotistical rant; I think you have forgotten we've kissed Xenophilius. I am slightly hurt, but don't worry, I have not forgotten. That being said, clearly there is more than just me 'being pretty'. Saying someone is pretty is a big deal. Stop denying it.

I'm not going.

Crumple-horned snorkacks like it when it's _colder_? What is wrong with them? I've been jealous of Hestia for the past few weeks because she's been rocking about in Florida (though she says it's been raining there too so maybe not) because it feels cold _here_ and you want to go further north in Sweden? And you called me loony.

Things are all right here, really. I've been kept fairly busy. Between social events and trying to knock some sense into Narcissa I've actually been spending most of my days out of my bedroom now. I know that a full social calendar may seem like an empty, valid existence but keeping busy is of prime importance right now, and I've been chatting with some lovely people at tea and weddings.

I don't even think I could get away to go to the wedding, honestly. More's the pity.

_Much Love,_

_Andromeda_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Caradoc,<em>

I am stunned. That is the most words I have ever heard come from you grouped together, and I didn't even get to _hear _them. Honestly, I thought you might have thought in fragmented sentences you were so good at them. I am almost convinced that you are normal now. Almost.

Anyways, thank you very much, I certainly feel much better about it all now. I did, however, intend the blowout that occurred due to it, but I suppose I should have expected it. Still, someone has to keep all these formal events fun and unprecedented. I can't even begin to fathom what you meant by 'nearly there' so I'm just going to ignore it and pretend your initial letter simply said 'nice'.

_Andromeda_

* * *

><p><em>Andy,<em>

Gee, I hope you don't mind that nickname. Oh well, if you do it's not like you can tell me. I've been floo-chatting with Charity occasionally but otherwise I'm practically cut off from regular society. Random question, but are Arthur and Molly really getting married? It's about bleeding time. Actually, by the time this gets to you they might already be married. Weird, innit? It's like we're moving in two different universes that are adjacent to each other but occur at different speeds. By the time that you get this letter everything I've written will be the present for you, but the past for me and everything _you're _experiencing over there is trickling slowly over to me via Charity so that I hear small updates about your life (very rarely though, what the hell's up with that? I need details) nearly a month after they've occurred.

I suppose that's humane existence though, we all live in the same universe, experiencing and interacting, while also traveling within our own personal universes, unaware of what it's like for everyone else and never quite grasping the concept of the lives happening around us.

Time is weird.

Anyhow, the Muggle president is Richard Nixon, in case you were unsure and dying to know. I had to ask someone and they thought I was right mad. _The sacrifices I make for you, Andy_.

I don't have much else to say, I feel like the recounts of my many adventures will only serve to depress you more as you are stuck in dreary old England while I am living it up, bunking with vagabonds and seeing the St. Louis arch and really just living life to the fullest. So, sorry.

A few days ago I ended up in this region Americans call 'New England' (but regular England is better, thank you very much) and I hitched a ride up to this musical festival in Vermont, which was fun. The grounds were muddy, the sanitation was poor, and it was crowded as hell, but it was brilliant. Muggle music is really cool actually, I'd suggest you give it a listen.

Okay, I need to shower and sleep.

_Hestia_

P.S. You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes. (That's A.A. Milne. Muggles love him, but none of them seem to know who he is, just what he's done.)

* * *

><p><em>Andromeda,<em>

No.

_Caradoc_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Caradoc,<em>

Eloquent.

_Andromeda_

* * *

><p><em>Andromeda,<em>

I try.

_Caradoc_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Molly,<em>

I assume this means you've given up? Much obliged.

_Andromeda_

* * *

><p><em>Andromeda.<em>

I have not given up; I'm simply playing the long game. Don't worry, you may have won the battle but I will win the war.

_Molly._

* * *

><p><em>Dear Andromeda<em>,

I had forgotten. Given it was New Year's however, I don't think it counts. Although there probably is something to be said about the fact that we rang in the New Year together. I'll allow some leeway, I suppose. I am still in disagreement about a comment about appearance being more than that, anyhow. Even if she does seem intrigued by the possible movement patterns of the crumple-horned snorkack. Don't say it.

Sometimes we have to make sacrifices to learn more about creatures, if you don't believe me you can ask Newt Scamander, who traveled the world in order to provide and encyclopedia of creatures in the magical world (although he did unfortunately miss some). Sometimes if you want something you have to be willing to put yourself through a little discomfort.

Well, you've stated how I feel about that, but I suppose if you claim that you are in fact enjoying yourself and having fun (though we both know how untrue that actually is). I still think hanging out with your proper, actual friends could do you some good, but I won't push the subject further. Maybe you aren't yet ready.

_Well regards,_

_Xenophilius_

* * *

><p><em>Dromeda,<em>

Go to the wedding. It's fine.

_-Ted_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Molly,<em>

Fuck you.

_Andromeda_

* * *

><p><em>Andromeda.<em>

See you on Thursday! Xx

_Molly._


End file.
